Archived: Princess Medical Centre

Updated 11 April 2017

Princess Medical Centre is located on the outskirts of Doncaster. The practice provides services for 6,305 patients under the terms of the NHS Personal Medical Services contract. The practice catchment area is classed as within the group of the second more deprived areas in England. The age profile of the practice population is similar to other GP practices in the Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area.

The practice has two male GP partners, three salaried GPs, two female and one male. They are supported by a two practice nurses, a healthcare assistant, a practice manager and a team of reception and administrative staff. The practice is open between 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday. The doors to the practice are closed between 12 noon and 1pm each day and telephone calls to the practice are answered during this time. Appointments are available with GPs between 8.30am to 11am and 3pm to 5.30pm daily and from 8.30am to 5.30pm with practice nurses and the healthcare assistant. In addition to pre-bookable appointments that could be booked up to two weeks in advance, urgent appointments are also available for people that needed them.

When the practice is closed calls were answered by the out-of-hours service which is accessed via the surgery telephone number or by calling the NHS 111 service.

The practice is located in a purpose built building with accessible parking to the front of the premises.

Following our last inspection as part of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009: Regulation 15 the GP partners had registered with the Care Quality Commission and the partnership had been updated.

Updated 11 April 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Princess Medical Centre on 22 August 2017. The overall rating for the practice was good with requires improvement for being well-led. The full comprehensive report from August 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Princess Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was a desk top review carried out on 7 March 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 22 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:

• The provider had reviewed their arrangements to monitor and improve quality and identify risk. For example, a legionella risk assessment had been completed. Actions identified as part of the infection prevention and control audit were contained within an action plan and reviewed regularly. Prescriptions were now tracked through the practice.
• The provider was in the process of drafting a service level agreement for the maintenance and upkeep of the premises with the landlord.

However there was an area of practice where the provider should make improvement:

• Mangers should conduct appraisals with staff within the specified time frame.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 27 September 2016

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

• Practice nursing staff had lead roles in long term condition review and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority.
• Performance for diabetes related indicators was 6%below the CCG average and 1% above the national average.
• 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 27 September 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 accident and emergency 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 practice’s uptake for the cervical screening programme was 81%, which was just below the CCG average of 82% and comparable to the national average of 81%
• 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 and health visitors.

Updated 27 September 2016

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

• All older patients had a named GP.
• The practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of the older people in its population.
• It was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs.
• A named GP took the lead for the nursing and residential homes allocated to the practice. They held a clinic every two weeks at the home incorporating medication and long term condition reviews along with regular appointments. 

Updated 27 September 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.

Updated 27 September 2016

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

• Of those experiencing severe poor mental health 91% had a comprehensive care plan in place which was higher than the CCG average of 89% and the national average of 88%.
• All patients diagnosed with dementia had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months, which is above the national average of 84%.
• The practice regularly worked with multidisciplinary teams in the case management of patients experiencing poor mental health, including those living with dementia.
• The practice carried out advance care planning for patients living with dementia.
• The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.
• 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 those living with dementia.

Updated 27 September 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 offered longer appointments for those who needed them.
• The practice regularly worked with other health care professionals in the case management of vulnerable patients.
• The practice informed people how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.
• Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse in 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.