East Park Medical Practice

Updated 16 May 2016

East Park Medical Practice is located in one of the less deprived areas of Wolverhampton. There are approximately 4,763 patients registered at the practice. The practice has a higher proportion of patients below the age of four and up to 29 years and 40 to 45 years compared with the practice average across England. There is a higher practice value for income deprivation affecting children and older people in comparison to the practice average across England. The practice also has a higher percentage of patients with a long standing health condition than the practice average across England.

The practice staff team consists of three GP partners, (all male). The clinical practice team includes a nurse practitioner, practice nurse and two healthcare assistants (this includes one of the administration staff who has a combined role). Practice staff also include a business manager, practice manager and six administration/ receptionists support staff. In total there are 17 staff employed either full or part time hours to meet the needs of patients. The practice is a training practice for GP registrars to gain experience and higher qualifications in general practice and family medicine.

The practice is open Monday to Friday. Opening times are 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday. Extended opening hours are available on Monday evening 6.30pm to 8pm and Friday 7am to 8am. GP appointments are from 8.30am to 11.20am, 2pm to 5.50pm and 6pm to 7.40pm on Mondays, 8.30am to 11.20am and 3.30pm to 5.50pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 8.30am to 10.50am and 3.30pm to 5.50pm on Wednesdays. A separate appointment schedule is available for appointments with the practice nurses. The practice does not provide an out-of-hours service to its patients but has alternative arrangements for patients to be seen when the practice is closed. Patients are directed to the out of hours service Primecare, the NHS 111 service and the local Walk-in Centres. This information was available on the practice answerphone, patient leaflet and practice website.

The practice has a contract to provide General Medical Services (GMS) for patients. This is a contract for the practice to deliver primary medical services to the local community. They provide Directed Enhanced Services, such as the childhood vaccination and immunisation scheme and minor surgery. The practice provides a number of clinics for example long-term condition management including asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Updated 16 May 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at East Park Medical Practice on Tuesday 2 February 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and to report incidents and near misses. There was an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned. The practice valued the importance of quality, improvement and learning and were actively involved in the training and education of GPs and community nurses.
• Patients with diabetes received intensive support to manager their condition from a nurse practitioner with extended training in the care and treatment of patients with diabetes.
• 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 the 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.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 16 May 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 diabetes assessment and care was slightly higher than the national average (91.6% compared to the national average of 89.2%). Patients with diabetes received intensive support to manager their condition from a nurse practitioner with extended training in the care and treatment of patients with diabetes. Audits carried out on this group of patients showed significant improvements in their condition. Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.  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.

Updated 16 May 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. There was evidence of joint working between the practice, health visitors and midwives. 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. 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. The practice’s uptake for the cervical screening programme was 80.2%, which was comparable to the national average of 81.83%.

Updated 16 May 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 offered home visits and urgent appointments for those older patients with enhanced needs. All older patients identified as at risk of an unplanned admission to hospital had an agreed care plan in place. Nationally reported data showed that outcomes for patients were good for conditions commonly found in older people. The practice had a proactive working relationship with a local sheltered accommodation for older people. There was effective communication between the practice and care home staff and visits to the home was carried out weekly and when requested.

Updated 16 May 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 appointment telephone line was open between 8am and 6.30pm and extended hours were offered one morning and one evening per week. The practice was proactive in offering online services as well as a full range of health promotion and screening that reflected the needs for this age group. Daily telephone appointments were available with the nurse practitioner. Lifestyle health and wellbeing clinics were held these included for example, nurse led weight management clinics and access to a health and wellbeing trainer.

Updated 16 May 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). The data showed that 97.62% of patients on the practice register who experienced poor mental health had a comprehensive agreed care plan in the preceding 12 months. This was higher than the national average of 88.47%. Patients experiencing poor mental health were supported to access various support groups and voluntary organisations both at the practice and within the community. A designated GP ensured that all patients experiencing poor mental health received appropriate treatment from appropriately qualified staff. The community mental health team (Healthy Minds) provided an important link to the local mental health services. The team carried out clinics at the practice for patients registered at the practice and patients from other practices. The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of people who experienced poor mental health, including those with dementia. It carried out advance care planning for patients with dementia. The percentage of patients diagnosed with dementia whose care had been reviewed in a face to face review in the preceding 12 months was 90.32%, which was higher than the national average of 84.01%. Staff had a good understanding of how to support people with mental health needs and dementia.

Updated 16 May 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 with a learning disability. An annual health check was carried out by the same GP with the support of the local community learning disability team. An easy read (pictorial) letter was sent to patients with a learning disability inviting them to attend the practice for their annual health check.

Staff had been trained 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. The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people. It had told vulnerable patients about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations. The citizens advice bureau offered a weekly drop in clinic at the practice.