Background to this inspection
Updated
4 April 2016
Stock Hill Surgery provides primary medical services in Biggin Hill to approximately 11000 patients and is one of 48 practices in Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The practice population is in the second least deprived decile in England.
The practice population has a lower than CCG and national average representation of income deprived children and older people. The practice population of children, and working age people are in line with local and national averages with a higher than average population of older people. Of patients registered with the practice for whom the ethnicity data was recorded, 66% are white British followed by 2% other white.
The practice operates from purpose built premises. All patient facilities are wheelchair accessible. The practice has access to six doctors’ consultation rooms and three nurse consultation rooms on the ground floor.
The practice team at the surgery is made up of three full-time male lead GPs who are partners, three part-time female GPs who are partners, one part-time GP registrar, two part-time female practice nurses, and two part-time healthcare assistants. The practice team consists of one practice manager, one reception supervisor, three practice secretaries, three administrators and seven reception staff members. The practice provided a total of 42 GP sessions per week.
The practice operates under a Personal Medical Services (PMS) contract, and is signed up to a number of local and national enhanced services (enhanced services require an enhanced level of service provision above what is normally required under the core GP contract). The practice is a training practice for GP registrars.
The practice reception and telephone lines are open from 8:00am till 6:30pm on Monday to Friday. Appointments are available from 8:30am to 11:30am and 3:30pm to 6pm every day (One GP offers appointments from 1:30pm and 3:30pm one day each week). Nurse appointments are available from 8:30am to 12:30pm and 2pm to 6pm every day.
The practice has opted out of providing out-of-hours (OOH) services to their own patients between 6:30pm and 8:00am and directs patients to the out-of-hours provider for Bromley CCG. The practice had recently signed up to be part of local GP Alliance and provides four to eight appointments 7 days a week through Primary Care hubs which could be booked in advance.
The practice is registered as a partnership with the Care Quality Commission to provide the regulated activities of diagnostic and screening procedures, maternity and midwifery services, family planning, surgical procedures and treatment of disease, disorder or injury.
Updated
4 April 2016
Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Stock Hill Surgery on 16 February 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.
- 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 provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.
There were areas of practice where the provider should make improvements:
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Review the chaperone policy in line with national guidelines and work to implement what is set out in the policy.
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Review and address issues identified in the GP patient survey to improve patient experience and access.
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Ensure that the carers register is up to date.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice
People with long term conditions
Updated
4 April 2016
The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long-term conditions.
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Nursing staff had lead roles in chronic disease management and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority.
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The national Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) data showed that 80% of patients had well-controlled diabetes, indicated by specific blood test results, compared to the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) average of 75% and the national average of 78%. The number of patients who had received an annual review for diabetes was 66% which was below the national average of 88%. One of the practice nurses had been recently trained to be diabetic specialist nurse and she works with the lead diabetic GP in the practice and performed diabetes annual reviews. In order to engage hard to reach population the practice offered additional GP diabetic clinics.
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Longer appointments and home visits were available for people with complex long term conditions when needed.
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All patients with long-term conditions 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.
Families, children and young people
Updated
4 April 2016
The practice is rated as good for the care of families, children and young people.
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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 urgent care and A&E attendances.
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Immunisation rates were relatively high for all standard childhood immunisations.
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The national Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) data showed that 78% of patients with asthma in the register had an annual review, compared to the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) average of 74% and the national average of 75%.
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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.
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The practice’s uptake for the cervical screening programme was 87%, which was comparable to the CCG average of 84% and the national average of 82%.
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Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies.
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The practice offered weekly midwifery clinics at the surgery.
Updated
4 April 2016
The practice is rated as good for the care of older people.
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The practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of the older people in its population.
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The practice was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs.
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The practice provided a phlebotomy service at the practice for the benefit of older patients who may have difficulty in getting to the hospital.
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The practice offered Electrocardiogram (ECG) and 24 hour blood pressure monitoring which reduced unnecessary travel for patients.
Working age people (including those recently retired and students)
Updated
4 April 2016
The practice is rated as good for the care of working-age people (including those recently retired and students).
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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.
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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.
People experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia)
Updated
4 April 2016
The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia).
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The number of patients with dementia who had received annual reviews was 80% which was below the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) average of 84% and national average of 84%.
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92% of patients with severe mental health conditions had a comprehensive agreed care plan in the last 12 months.
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The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of people experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia.
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The practice carried out advance care planning for patients with dementia.
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The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.
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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.
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Staff had a good understanding of how to support patients with mental health needs and dementia.
People whose circumstances may make them vulnerable
Updated
4 April 2016
The practice is rated as good for the care of people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.
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The practice held a register of patients living in vulnerable circumstances including homeless people, travellers and those with a learning disability. These patients were flagged in their clinical system.
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The practice offered appointments for all newly registered looked after children with a named GP and had an alert set up on the computer system.
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The practice offered longer appointments for patients with a learning disability.
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The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people.
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The practice informed vulnerable patients about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.
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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.
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The GPs visited two community homes on a regular basis, supporting the needs of the residents with learning disabilities and mental health problems.