West Point Medical Centre

Updated 16 October 2020

West Point Medical Centre is based in the Slade Hall area of Manchester. It is part of the NHS Central Manchester Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and has 7,361 patients. The practice provides services under a General Medical Services contract, with NHS England. Information published by Public Health England rates the level of deprivation within the practice population group as 938 from 6,556 Nationally, with a ranking of one being the highest level of deprivation. Manchester Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is ranked as sixth from 201 nationally. The numbers of patients in the different age groups on the GP practice register were generally similar to the average GP practice in England. There were a higher number of patients aged 15 to 44 years and lower numbers of patients aged over 65 years.

Services are provided from a redeveloped detached building with disabled access and on street parking. The practice has a number of consulting and treatment rooms used by the GPs and nursing staff as well as visiting professionals such as health visitors. The practice is a teaching practice and as such worked with the local university to provide training to medical students. The service is led by two GP partners, three salaried GPs, a nursing team with a nurse practitioner and two nurses with a healthcare assistant (HCA) and a management team including the temporary practice manager who are all supported by an administration team including a number of reception/administrative staff who also cover other duties such as dealing with samples and drafting prescriptions.

The practice is open between 8.00am and 6.30pm from Monday to Friday.  Early HCA appointments (for blood tests, ECGs and other checks) are provided from 7.00am on some weekdays.  Later extended hours are provided as part of the GP federation who cover 28 practices in the area between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm, Monday to Friday, as well as on Saturday and Sunday mornings. These appointments are available at a small number of local health centres, including at West Point Medical Centre. Patients are able to seek help or advice by phone or online via the practice website. All requests are reviewed by the practice and an appropriate appointment is usually arranged on the same day.  Face to face appointments are provided following an initial telephone, video or online consultation with an appropriate healthcare professional. These appointments are provided by the practice in one of the designated isolation rooms.  Pre-booked appointments are available for patients who need them. Out of hours cover is provided by local walk in centres and the NHS 111 service.

Updated 16 October 2020

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 21 April 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

The practice should make improvements in the following areas:

• Ensure the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations are fully embedded.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 13 June 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 and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority.

• Performance for the five diabetes related indicators was below the national average for two out of the five indicators.

• 100% of patients with diabetes had received an influenza immunisation compared to the national average of 94.45%.
• A record of foot examination was present for 79.95% compared to the national average of 88.3%.
• Patients with diabetes in whom the last blood pressure reading (measured in the preceding 12 months) was 140/80 mmHg or less was 75% compared to the national average of 78.03%.
• Patients with diabetes whose last measured total cholesterol (measured within the preceding 12 months) was 5 mmol/l or less was 82.31% compared to the national average of 80.53%.
• The percentage of patients with diabetes, on the register, in whom the last IFCCHbA1c is 64 mmol/mol or less in the preceding 12 months was 83.66% compared to the national average of 77.54%.

• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.
• All these patients had a named GP and 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 13 June 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 relatively high for all standard childhood immunisations.
• Patients told us that children and young people were treated in an age-appropriate way and were recognised as individuals, and we saw evidence to confirm this.
• The percentage of women aged 25-64 whose notes record that a cervical screening test has been performed in the preceding 5 years (01/04/2014 to 31/03/2015) was 92.37%, which was the same as the national average of 82%.
• 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.

Updated 13 June 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.

Updated 13 June 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 as well as a full range of health promotion and screening that reflects the needs for this age group.
• The practice offered appointments at early evening surgeries during the week from 6pm to 8pm.
• Telephone appointments were available if patients wished to discuss test results urgent concerns and who may have difficulty attending surgery due to work commitments.

Updated 13 June 2016

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

• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of people experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia.
• The practice carried out advanced care planning for patients with dementia.
• The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.
• The percentage of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses who had a comprehensive, agreed care plan documented in the record in the preceding 12 months was 98.65% compared to the national average of 88.47%.
• The percentage of patients diagnosed with dementia whose care had been reviewed face to face in the preceding 12 months was 76% compared to the national average of 84%.
• 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.

Updated 13 June 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 homeless people, travellers and those with a learning disability.
• The practice offered longer appointments for patients with a learning disability.
• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people.
• 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.
• Staff were aware of their responsibilities regarding information sharing, documentation of safeguarding concerns and how to contact relevant agencies in normal working hours and out of hours.