Hillview Medical Centre

Updated 2 March 2018

Hillview Medical Centre is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as a partnership provider. It is located in a residential area of Redditch in Worcestershire. The practice holds a General Medical Services (GMS) contract with NHS England. The GMS contract is a contract between general practices and NHS England for delivering primary care services to local communities. At the time of our inspection Hillview Medical Centre was providing medical care to 9,102 patients. The practice has a website, which details services and gives information to patients: www.hillviewmedcentre.co.uk.

The practice provides additional GP services commissioned by Redditch and Bromsgrove clinical commissioning group (CCG). For example, minor surgery. A CCG is an organisation that brings together local GPs and experienced health professionals to take on commissioning responsibilities for local health services.

All consulting rooms are located on the ground floor. Bus stops are situated just outside the practice and Redditch rail station is a few minutes’ walk away. Parking is available on site and in a nearby car park accessed by a slip road to the side of the practice. There is provision for parking for disabled patients at the rear of the practice building and the practice has facilities for disabled patients. There is an independent pharmacy on site.

The practice team consists of five GP partners (two male and three female) and two salaried GPs (one male and one female). They are supported by the practice manager, a pharmacist, three practice nurses, a health care assistant, and reception and administrative staff.

Hillview Medical Centre is open on weekdays from 8.30am until 6pm. Appointments are available from 8.40am until 11.30am and from 2.30pm until 6pm. Extended hours appointments are provided from 7.10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 7.20am on alternate Mondays and Fridays and from 7.30am on Wednesdays. Patients who ring the practice between 8am and 8.30am and between 6pm and 6.30pm hear a recorded message which advises them to ring a mobile number if they need to see a GP urgently during the week (practice staff answer the mobile). The practice is closed at weekends.

An out of hours service is provided by Care UK for Redditch and Bromsgrove CCG. Patients can access this by using the NHS 111 service.

Updated 2 March 2018

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

This practice is rated as Good overall. (Previous inspection November 2014 – Good)

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? - Good

As part of our inspection process, we also look at the quality of care for specific population groups. The population groups are rated as:

Older People – Good

People with long-term conditions – Good

Families, children and young people – Good

Working age people (including those recently retired and students – Good

People whose circumstances may make them vulnerable – Good

People experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia) - Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Hillview Medical Centre on 17 January 2018 as part of our inspection programme.

At this inspection we found:

• The practice had clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. The practice discussed incidents as soon as they happened, learned from them and improved their processes where necessary.
• The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered in accordance with evidence- based guidelines.
• The practice worked collaboratively with other local practices and organisations to develop schemes which would benefit patients in the area. For example, the neighbourhood team, extended hours hubs and social prescribing (a way of linking patients in primary care with sources of support within the community).
• Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Patients told us that the appointment system was easy to use and said that they were able to access care when they needed it. Routine appointments were available within 48 hours.
• The practice had a computer software programme that automatically recorded future diary entries for patients who needed to be recalled for reviews.
• The practice had developed a protocol for prescribing end of life medicines which was going to be cascaded to other practices in Worcestershire.
• There was a focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 2 March 2018

Updated 2 March 2018

Updated 2 March 2018

Updated 2 March 2018

Updated 2 March 2018

Updated 2 March 2018