Background to this inspection
Updated
20 January 2020
Victoria Medical Centre provides services to around 3400 patients from 12-28 Glen Street, Hebburn Tyne and Wear, NE31 1NU which we visited as part of this inspection.
The provider is registered with CQC to deliver the Regulated Activities; diagnostic and screening procedures, maternity and midwifery services and treatment of disease, disorder or injury, surgical procedures and family planning. The current provider took over the practice in 2016.
The practice is part of NHS South Tyneside clinical commissioning group (CCG). The practice provides services based on a General Medical Services (GMS) contract agreement for general practice.
The practice has two GP partners (female) and one long term male locum GP. They have two practice nurses and one health care assistant. They have a practice manager and assistant practice manager and four administrative staff who undertake reception and administrative duties, they employ one cleaner.
The practice is a teaching practice and has medical students from first, third and fifth year. They also host Foundation Year 2 trainee doctors.
The practice provides late evening, weekend and bank holiday appointments. They are part of the local GP federation of GP practices who work together to provide appointments with GPs, nurses or health care assistants outside of their normal working hours. Patients can contact the practice reception team to arrange appointments. When this service is not provided patients requiring urgent medical care can contact the out of hours service provided by the NHS 111 service.
Information from Public Health England placed the area in which the practice is located in the third most deprived decile, where one is most deprived and 10 is least deprived. In general, people living in more deprived areas tend to have a greater need for health services. Average male life expectancy at the practice is 77 years, compared to the national average of 79 years. Average female life expectancy at the practice is 80 years, compared to the national average of 83 years.
98% of the practice population were white, 0.6% were mixed race, 0.9% were Asian, 0.2% were black and 0.4% were other races.
Updated
20 January 2020
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Victoria Medical Centre on 14 November 2019 as part of our inspection programme.
We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:
- what we found when we inspected
- information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
- information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.
We have rated this practice as good overall and for all population groups other than families, children and young people, which was rated as outstanding because;
- The practice had exceeded targets in this area and engaged with and provided services to support high quality care.
We found that:
- The practice had systems to keep clinicians up to date with current evidence-based practice. We saw that clinicians assessed needs and delivered care and treatment in line with current legislation, standards and guidance.
- Care was delivered and reviewed in a coordinated way when different teams, services or organisations are involved.
- The practice had developed a programme of quality improvement activity and routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care provided.
- We found staff had the knowledge and skills needed to provide effective care.
- The practice organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs. Access to appointments had improved. Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
- The practice demonstrated they had good governance processes to monitor and improve safety and safeguarding within the practice.
- There was a clear vision and strategy to deliver high quality, sustainable care.
- The practice culture supported sustainability and good quality care.
- The practice learned, improved and innovated as a result of safety information and incidents.
We saw examples of outstanding practice:
- The practice had improved and had good systems and processes in place to ensure that patients received high quality care and treatment which was evidenced by the practice performance data, in particular with reference to the services and support provided for children, young people and families.
- The practice had excellent engagement with two linked care homes where they provided regular visits. They worked with the care homes to help them manage self-care where possible. All of the care home patients had up to date emergency healthcare plans in place, which had been discussed and agreed with the patient’s families where appropriate.
Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.
Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care