Archived: Woodland Road Surgery

Updated 30 July 2015

The Woodland Road Surgery in St Austell PL25 4QY provides primary medical services to people living in the town if St Austell and surrounding villages. The practice is a training practice for qualified doctors undertaking training to become a GP.

The Woodland Road Surgery is part of the consortium known as the St Austell Healthcare Group Ltd and they have in place an agreement to help manage and lead Polkyth Surgery for which they have overall responsibility for managing.

At the time of our inspection there were approximately 7,500 patients registered at the Woodland Road Surgery. There were three male GP partners who held managerial and financial responsibility for running the business. The GPs were supported by three registered nurses, a phlebotomist (a person trained to take blood), a practice manager, and additional administrative and reception staff. Patients using the practice also had access to community staff including district nurses, health visitors, and midwives

Woodland Road Surgery is open from 8am until 6.30pm Monday to Friday for regular appointments. The practice also opens from 7am to 8am and then 6.30pm to 8.15pm Monday to Friday for patients that find it difficult to visit the GP during the day. During evenings and weekends, when the practice is closed, patients are directed to an Out of Hours service delivered by another provider.

Updated 30 July 2015

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

The Woodland Road Surgery was inspected on the 21 January 2015. This was a comprehensive inspection. We rated this practice as Good.

We found the practice to be good for providing safe, caring responsive and effective and well led services. It was also good for providing services for older people, people with long term conditions, families, children and young people, working age people including those recently retired and students, people who were vulnerable and those experiencing poor mental health and those with dementia.

• Patients who use the practice had access to community staff including district nurses, community psychiatric nurses, health visitors, physiotherapists, counsellors, and midwives.

• Patients we spoke to and the comment cards submitted confirmed that patients were happy with the service and the professionalism of the GPs and nurses. The practice was visibly clean and there were effective infection control procedures in place.

• We found that staff were well supported and the practice was well led with a clear vision and objectives. Staff had a sound knowledge of safeguarding procedures for children and vulnerable adults.

• Care and treatment was being delivered in line with current published best practice. Patient’s individual needs were consistently met in a timely manner.

• All the patients we spoke to during our inspection were very complimentary about the service and the manner in which they were cared for. Recruitment, pre-employment checks, induction and appraisal processes were in place. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and further training needs had been identified and planned.

The provider should ensure that blank prescriptions are stored securely until used.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 30 July 2015

The practice is rated as good for providing care to people with long term conditions. The practice managed the care and treatment for patients with long term conditions in line with best practice and national guidance. Health promotion and health checks were offered in line with national guidelines for specific conditions such as diabetes and asthma. Longer appointments were available for patients if required, such as those with long term conditions. The practice had a carers' register and all carers were offered an appointment for a carers' check with nursing staff. The practice worked with the community matron to keep patients within their own homes.

Updated 30 July 2015

The practice is rated as good for families, children and young people. Staff worked well with the midwife to provide prenatal and postnatal care. Postnatal health checks were provided by a GP. The practice provided baby and child immunisation programmes to ensure babies and children could access a full range of vaccinations and health screening. Information relevant to young patients was displayed and health checks and advice on sexual health for men, women and young people included a full range of contraception services and sexual health screening including chlamydia testing and cervical screening. The GPs training in safeguarding children from abuse was at the required level.

Updated 30 July 2015

The practice is rated as good for providing care to older people. Health checks and promotion were offered to this group of patients. There were safeguards in place to identify adults in vulnerable circumstances. The practice worked well with external professionals in delivering care to older patients, including end of life care. Pneumococcal vaccination and shingles vaccinations were provided at the practice for older people during routine appointments. Staff recognised that some patients required additional help when being referred to other agencies and assisted them with this.

Updated 30 July 2015

The practice is rated as good for providing care to working age people. The practice provided appointments on the same day. If these appointments were not available then a telephone consultation with a GP would be booked The practice operated extended opening hours in the mornings and evenings Mondays to Fridays. Males over the age of 65 years were invited to attend screening for abdominal aortic screening. An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a weakening and expansion of the aorta, the main blood vessel in the body. The practice website invited all patients aged over 45 years to arrange to have a health check with a healthcare assistant if they wanted. A cervical screening service was available.

Updated 30 July 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of patients experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). Patients with mental health care needs were registered at the practice. Some patients with mental health needs had regular appointments with the practice nurse to help them manage their medicines. There was signposting and information available to patients, for example a counselling service.

The practice referred patients who needed mental health services to the local mental health team. The practice had recognised the need for patients who experience poor mental health to see a GP urgently and had changed its appointment system to allow for same day appointments. Monitoring of medicines prescribed by the GPs was undertaken in way that protected patients from the risk of inappropriate use of medicines.

Updated 30 July 2015

The practice is rated as good for people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. The practice had a vulnerable patient register to identify these patients. Vulnerable patients were reviewed at team meetings. Referral to a counselling service was available. The practice provided primary care services for patients who are homeless and worked alongside social services and housing to assist them. Patients with interpretation requirements were known to the practice and staff knew how to access these services. Patients with learning disabilities were offered a health check every year during which their long term care plans were discussed with the patient and their carer if appropriate. Reception staff were able to identify vulnerable patients and offer longer appointment times where needed and send letters for appointments.