Archived: Dr Heather Charles

Updated 7 November 2017

The Dr Heather Charles practice is located in the London Borough of Hackney within the NHS Hackney Clinical Commissioning Group. The practice holds a Personal Medical Services contract (an agreement between NHS England and general practices for delivering primary care services to local communities). The practice provides a full range of enhanced services including childhood immunisation and vaccination, meningitis immunisation, dementia support, influenza and pneumococcal immunisations, rotavirus and shingles immunisation and unplanned admissions avoidance.

The practice is registered with the Care Quality Commission to carry on the regulated activities of family planning, maternity and midwifery services, treatment of disease, disorder or injury and diagnostic and screening procedures.

The practice had a patient list size of 6,000 at the time of our inspection. The practice had a higher proportion of people with a long standing health conditions than local average (52% compared to the CCG average of 45% and the national average of 54%). The practice serves a diverse community. At 77 years, male life expectancy was below the CCG average of 78 years and the England average of 79 years. At 82 years, female life expectancy is comparable with the CCG average of 82 years and the England average of 83 years.

The practice has fewer patients aged 60 years of age and older compared to an average GP practice in England. The percentage of patients between the ages of 25 and 49 is higher than the average GP practice in England. The surgery is based in an area with a deprivation score of one out of ten (one being the most deprived). Children and older people registered with the practice have a higher level of income deprivation compared to the local and national averages. Patients at this practice have a higher rate of unemployment than the national average.

The clinical team at the practice included one principal female GP, five sessional GPs (four female and one male), two regular locum GPs (one male, one female), one female pharmacist, three female practice nurses and one male healthcare assistant. The non-clinical team at the practice included one practice manager and nine administrative staff. There were 23 GP sessions available per week.

The practice is open on the following days and times:

• Monday to Wednesday: 8.30am to 6.30pm
• Thursday: 8.30am to 1pm
• Friday: 8.30am to 5.30pm

Extended hours access is available three days a week:

• Tuesday: 7am to 8.30am
• Wednesday: 6.30pm to 7pm
• Saturday: 8.30am to 1pm

Urgent appointments are available each day and GPs also provide telephone consultations for patients. An out of hour’s service is provided for patients when the practice is closed. Information about the out of hour’s service is provided to patients through posters in the waiting area, on the practice website and the practice leaflet.

Updated 7 November 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Heather Charles on 5 January 2017. The overall rating for the practice was good, however the safe domain was rated requires improvement. The full comprehensive report on the January 2017 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Dr Heather Charles on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced desk-based review carried out on 14 September 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breach in regulation that we identified in our previous inspection on 5 January 2017. 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 overall including the safe domain.

Our key findings were as follows:

• There was a system in place for monitoring staff training and all staff at the practice were up to date with training that was required for their role.
• The practice had reviewed and were working to improve the uptake in cervical screening.
• There was a system in place to monitor prescription pads in accordance with NHS guidelines.
• There was an active patient participation group in place and the practice were actively recruiting more members.
• The practice was pro-active in working to improve patient satisfaction.

At our previous inspection on 5 January 2017, we rated the practice as requires improvement for providing safe services as not all staff were trained in basic life support, infection and prevention control, safeguarding and fire safety. At this inspection we found that the practice had improved the way they managed staff training and all staff were up to date with the required training for their roles.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 7 November 2017

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long term conditions. As the practice was found to be providing good services overall, this did not affect the rating for the population group we inspect against.

Updated 7 November 2017

The practice is rated as good for the care of families, children and young people. As the practice was found to be providing good services overall, this did not affect the rating for the population group we inspect against.

Updated 7 November 2017

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people. As the practice was found to be providing good services overall, this did not affect the rating for the population group we inspect against.

Updated 7 November 2017

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long term conditions. As the practice was found to be providing good services overall, this did not affect the rating for the population group we inspect against.

Updated 7 November 2017

The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). As the practice was found to be providing good services overall, this did not affect the rating for the population group we inspect against.

Updated 7 November 2017

The practice is rated as good for the care of people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. As the practice was found to be providing good services overall, this did not affect the rating for the population group we inspect against.