Archived: Dr Kumar & Partners Also known as Evington Medical Centre

Updated 9 April 2015

Evington Medical Centre provides primary medical services to approximately 10,000 patients in the area of Evington Leicester City. The practice provides a service to a group of patients aged between 25 and 55 years which are significantly larger than the national average. The number of patients with diabetes and high blood pressure is significantly higher at this practice than both the national and the CCG average. The range of services provided includes minor surgery, minor injuries, maternity care, blood testing, vaccinations, mental health, drug and alcohol services and various clinics for patients with long term conditions.

A new GP partnership was established in April 2014. The practice employs 16.5 whole time equivalent staff, including nine clerical staff, and 7.5 clinicians and a practice manager. The clinical team includes three male GP partners and two female salaried GPs, two practice nurses, three phlebotomists and a health care assistant. The practice provides 41 GP sessions a week. The practice opted out of providing the out-of-hours service.

The practice holds the following contracts: Personal Medical Services (PMS) to provide various locally agreed services. The practice had applied to become a training practice for trainee doctors from 2015.

This practice is supported by the Leicester City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Updated 9 April 2015

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We inspected this practice on 04 November 2014 as part of our new comprehensive inspection programme. Overall this practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, well-led, effective, caring and responsive services. It was also good for providing services for older people, people with long term conditions, families, children and young people, working age people (including those recently retired and students), people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Patients said clinicians treated them with compassion, dignity and respect and that they were involved in decisions about their care and treatment.
• Effective safeguarding policies and procedures were in place and were fully understood and implemented by staff.
• There was a multi-disciplinary collaborative approach to care and treatment with good use of multi-disciplinary meetings (MDT).
• New patient packs were translated into different languages to meet the needs of the individual patient.
• The practice was part of a scheme to avoid unplanned admissions. This focussed on coordinated care at home for the most vulnerable patients.
• Patients’ spiritual, ethnic and cultural needs were considered and understood. The practice could access telephone translation services, face to face interpreters and multi-lingual staff.
• Leadership roles and responsibilities were being established and defined with clear lines of accountability.

In addition the provider should:

• Ensure that fire risk assessments for both sites include action plans and review dates.

• Ensure that clinical audit cycles are completed to demonstrate the impact achieved for patients and to facilitate on going quality improvement.

• All forms of patient information should be updated to provide current information to patients.

• Arrange for reception staff to receive additional training and support to improve the service they deliver.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 9 April 2015

The practice is rated as good for the population group of people with long term conditions. Patients reported access was by telephone and online appointments, but it was difficult to access these appointments. The practice had a clear vision and strategy to deliver extended hours to the practice and so improve access for patients from June 2015. Data showed emergency processes were in place and referrals made for patients in this group who had experienced a sudden deterioration in health. When needed, longer appointments and home visits were available. All patients with a long term condition had a named GP and structured annual reviews to check their health and medication needs were being met. The practice had a high number of patients with diabetes and hypertension who required additional support and access to appointments. For those people with the most complex needs the named GP worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver multidisciplinary support and care.

Updated 9 April 2015

The practice is rated as good for the population group of families, children and young people. Access was by telephone and online appointments, but patients reported it was difficult to access these appointments. The practice had a clear vision and strategy to deliver extended hours to the practice and so improve access for patients from June 2015. Systems were in place for identifying and following-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. Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies. We were provided with good examples of joint working with midwives, health visitors and school nurses. Emergency processes were in place and referrals made for children and pregnant women who had a sudden deterioration in health.

Updated 9 April 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people. The appointment system was mainly by telephone and online appointments but older patients reported it was difficult to access these appointments. The practice had a clear vision and strategy to deliver extended hours to the practice and so improve access for patients from June 2015. Nationally reported data showed the practice had good outcomes for conditions commonly found amongst older people. The practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of the older people in its population and had a range of enhanced services, for example in dementia and end of life care. Patients 65 years and over were offered an annual health check. All patients 75 years and over were allocated a named GP to offer continuity of care to ensure that their needs we’re being met. Health care plans were provided for patients over 75 years, to help avoid unplanned admissions to hospital. The practice was responsive to the needs of older people, including offering home visits and access appointments for those with enhanced needs.

Updated 9 April 2015

The practice is rated as good for the population group of the working-age people (including those recently retired and students). The practice patient age profile is mainly those of working age, students and the recently retired but the services available did not fully reflect the needs of this group. Access was by telephone and online appointments, but patients reported it was difficult to access these appointments. The practice had a clear vision and strategy to deliver extended hours to the practice and so improve access for patients from June 2015. The practice offered a choose and book service for patients referred to secondary services, which enabled them greater flexibility over when and where their test took place. NHS health checks were offered to patients over 40 years. The practice was proactive in offering health promotion and screening appropriate to the needs for this age group.

Updated 9 April 2015

The practice is rated as good for the population group of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). Access was by telephone and online appointments, but patients reported it was difficult to access these appointments. The practice had a clear vision and strategy to deliver extended hours to the practice and so improve access for patients from June 2015.

People experiencing poor mental health had received an annual physical health check. The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of people experiencing poor mental health including those with dementia. The practice had completed 95% of their mental health care plans. The practice had in place advance care planning for patients with dementia.

Updated 9 April 2015

The practice is rated as good for the population group of people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. Access was by telephone and online appointments, but patients reported it was difficult to access these appointments. The practice had a clear vision and strategy to deliver extended hours to the practice and so improve access for patients from June 2015. The practice held a register of patients living in vulnerable circumstances including homeless people, travellers and those with learning disabilities. The practice had carried out annual health checks for people with learning disabilities. The practice offered longer appointments for people with learning disabilities.

The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people. The practice had sign-posted vulnerable patients to various support groups and third sector 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 and out of hours. The practice was meeting the needs of a high number of patients with diabetes and hypertension, with specialist clinics and appropriately trained staff.