Beaumont Lodge Medical Practice

Updated 9 March 2017

Beaumont Lodge Medical Practice is a GP practice, which provides primary medical services to approximately 6,618 patients predominately living in the Beaumont Leys estate. All patient facilities are accessible. Leicester City Clinical Commissioning Group (LCCCG) commission the practice’s services.

The practice has two GP partners (male), and two long-term locum GPs (female). The nursing team consists of a two practice nurses and a healthcare assistant / phlebotomist. They are supported by Practice Manager, Assistant Practice Manager and a team of reception staff and administrative staff.

Beaumont Lodge Medical Practice has two GP practices registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC); Baxters Close Surgery and Astill Lodge Surgery. However, Astill Lodge Surgery is a branch site and therefore they share the same practice list size and staff. This report is for Baxters Close Surgery.

The practice is open between 8am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday. Appointments with individual doctors vary during the opening hours. Extended hours appointments are offered from 7am to 8am on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and between 6.30pm and 7.30pm on a Tuesday and Friday. In addition to pre-bookable appointments that can be booked up to three weeks in advance, urgent appointments and telephone consultations are also available for people that need them.

Patients can also access out of hours support from the national advice service NHS 111. The practice also provides details for the nearest urgent care centres, as well as accident and emergency departments.

Updated 9 March 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Beaumont Lodge Medical Practice on 09 August 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good, however the practice was rated as requires improvement for the provision of safe services. The full comprehensive report on the August 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Beaumont Lodge Medical Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was desk-based review carried out on 15 February 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 09 August 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is now rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Clinical waste bins were stored securely and safely in a designated secured area.

• The gas boiler had been serviced and an electrical installation safety check had also been carried out.

• Written protocols were implemented to support reception staff in their duties around prescribing.

• Significant events and safety alerts had been added as a standing agenda item for practice meetings.

• A system was in place to check registration with the appropriate professional bodies for nursing staff and GPs.

• Documentation for monthly checks on emergency lighting and fire exits had been updated to ensure emergency lighting was included.

• A documented process was put into place to support the system in place to follow up children who did not attend for immunisations. This included telephone contact on the day, which was recorded in the patient record and a further appointment was booked for the following week.

• The practice considered how to control noise to ensure conversations held in consultation and treatment rooms could not be overheard. The volume on the waiting room television had been adjusted which had resolved this.

• The patient registration form was amended to include a carers section so patients could be identified on the patient record system accordingly. GPs were also encouraged to record patients on the system as a carer when they became aware. Leaflets regarding services for carers were also available in the waiting areas.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 7 October 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long-term conditions.

• Nursing staff had lead roles in chronic disease management.

• Patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority and care plans were put into place.

• 70% of those diagnosed with diabetes had a blood test to assess diabetes control (looking at how blood sugar levels have been averaging over recent weeks) compared to the national average of 78%.

• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.

• All these patients had a named GP and were offered a structured annual review to check their health and medicines needs were being met.

• For those patients with the most complex needs, the named GP worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care.

Updated 7 October 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of families, children and young people.

• There were systems in place to identify and follow up children living in disadvantaged circumstances and who were at risk, for example, children and young people who had a high number of A&E attendances.

• Immunisation rates were comparable to local averages for all standard childhood immunisations.

• The practice’s uptake for the cervical screening programme was 69%, which was comparable to the CCG average of 69% and the national average of 74%.

• Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies.

• We saw positive examples of joint working with midwives, health visitors and school nurses.

• A dedicated safeguarding lead liaised with health visitors and school nurses if there were any concerns.

Updated 7 October 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people.

• The practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of the older people in its population.

• The practice was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs.

• Annual reviews for those patients that were housebound were carried out during a home visit.

• Patients who required their social needs to be assessed were referred to the Care Navigator service.

Updated 7 October 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of working-age people (including those recently retired and students).

• The needs of the working age population, those recently retired and students had been identified and the practice had adjusted the services it offered to ensure these were accessible, flexible and offered continuity of care.

• The practice was proactive in offering online services to book appointments and request repeat prescriptions.

• A full range of health promotion and screening was offered that reflected the needs for this age group.

• Extended hours were available for those that could not attend during normal working hours.

Updated 7 October 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia).

• 90% of those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder or other had a comprehensive and agreed care plan in place, compared to the national average of 88%.

• 92% of patients with a diagnosis of dementia had their care reviewed in a face-to-face review, compared to the national average of 84%.

• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of patients experiencing poor mental health, including those living with dementia.

• The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations. The practice also hosted a clinic for patients to see a mental health facilitator.

• The practice had a system in place to follow up patients who had attended accident and emergency where they may have been experiencing poor mental health.

• Staff had a good understanding of how to support patients with mental health needs and dementia and worked with local agencies.

Updated 7 October 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.

• The practice held a register of patients living in vulnerable circumstances including those with a learning disability.

• The practice registered homeless people with a temporary address at the practice to ensure their health needs were met and the health visitor contacted the practice to make appointments for children from travelling communities.

• The practice offered longer appointments for patients with a learning disability.

• The practice regularly worked with other health care professionals in the case management of vulnerable patients.

• The practice informed vulnerable patients about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.

• Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse in vulnerable adults and children and were aware of their responsibilities.