• Doctor
  • GP practice

Archived: Dr Hegde & Partners

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

The Galleries Health Centre, Washington, Tyne and Wear, NE38 7NQ (0191) 416 1841

Provided and run by:
Dr Hegde & Partners

Latest inspection summary

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Background to this inspection

Updated 3 March 2016

Dr Hegde & Partners is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide primary care services. They provide the following regulated activities:-

  • Diagnostic and screening procedures
  • Maternity and midwifery services
  • Treatment of disease, disorder or injury

We asked the practice to check the regulated activities they were registered to provide with CQC to make sure they were correct and to consider adding family planning and surgical procedures. The practice confirmed with us they would not undertake any procedures relevant to these regulated activities until appropriate registration was in place.

The practice provides services to approximately just over 5,700 patients from one location, The Galleries Health Centre, Washington, Tyne and Wear, NE38 7NQ, which we visited as part of this inspection. There are a number of other GP practices based within the Galleries Health Centre.

Dr Hegde & Partners is a small practice providing care and treatment to patients of all ages, based on a General Medical Services (GMS) contract. They are situated in Washington, next to the Galleries shopping centre. There are good links to local transport from the Galleries transport hub. The practice is part of the NHS Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). There is level access with an internal ramp to make it easier for patients with physical disabilities to access the practice. All patient services are delivered from the ground floor. There are no allocated car parking spaces for the practice, but there is plenty of parking, including disabled parking, across the Galleries Shopping Centre.

The practice has two GP partners, both of which are male and the practice manager is also a partner. In addition, there is one female regular locum GP, three practice nurses, two healthcare assistants and a team of six administrative and reception staff. Prior to the inspection, the practice had submitted applications to make changes to their partnership and registered manager. These were still in progress at the time of the inspection.

The surgery is open 8.00am - 6.00pm, Monday to Friday. Extended hours surgeries were offered on Tuesday evening until 7:30pm and on a Thursday and Friday morning from 7am for those patients unable to attend during normal working hours.

The consultation times are:

  • Monday and Wednesday - 8.30am to 11.40am and 3.00pm to 5.50pm
  • Tuesday - 8.30am to 11.40am and 3.00pm to 7.30pm
  • Thursday - 7.00am to 11.40am and 3.00pm to 6.00pm
  • Friday- 7.00am to 11.40am and 4.00pm to 5.50pm

The service for patients requiring urgent medical attention out of hours is provided by the NHS 111 service and Northern Doctors Urgent Care Limited (NDUC).

Information taken from Public Health England placed the area in which the practice was located in the fifth most deprived decile. In general, people living in more deprived areas tend to have greater need for health services. There were a slightly higher proportion of people in the area in paid work or full time employment at 61.5% (compared to an England average of 60.2%). The unemployment rate in the area is lower than the National average at 4.1% compared to the national average at 6.2%). The average male life expectancy is 78 years, which is one year lower than the England average and the average female life expectancy is 81 years, which is two years lower than the England average.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 3 March 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Hegde and Partners on 5 January 2016. Overall, the practice is rated as good.

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

  • There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • 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. They were responsive to the needs of patients and had made reasonable adjustments to improve access to the service. For example, the practice had conducted an audit of their facilities and developed an action plan to ensure they were suitable and accessible for patients with dementia type conditions.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted upon.
  • The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

  • On the National GP Patient Survey, the practice consistently scored higher than the national and local averages for ease of access to the service. For example, 90.6% described their experience of making an appointment as good (compared to a CCG average 76.2% and a national average of 73.3%). 80.4% said they felt they do not normally have to wait too long to be seen (compared to a CCG average 65% and a national average of 57.7%).

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

People with long term conditions

Good

Updated 3 March 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long-term conditions.

  • Effective systems were in place, which helped ensure patients with long-term conditions received an appropriate service, which met their needs. These patients all had a named GP and received an annual review to check that their needs were being met. For those people with the most complex needs, the named GP worked with other relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care.
  • Nursing staff had lead roles in chronic disease management and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority.
  • Nationally reported data showed the practice had performed well in providing recommended care and treatment for some of the clinical conditions commonly associated with this population group. For example,
  • Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.
  • Patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority, and steps were taken to manage their needs.
  • Staff had completed the training they needed to provide patients with safe care.

Families, children and young people

Good

Updated 3 March 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. For example, childhood immunisation rates for the vaccinations given to under two year olds ranged from 96.2% to 100% and five year olds from 91.2% to 100%. The average percentage across the CCG for vaccinations given to under two year olds ranged from 96.2% to 100% and five year olds from 31.6% to 98.9%.
  • 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.
  • Nationally reported data showed the practice had performed in line with average for providing recommended care and treatment for this group of patients.
  • Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies.
  • We saw good examples of joint working with midwives, health visitors and school nurses.

Older people

Good

Updated 3 March 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people.

  • Staff provided proactive, personalised care, which met the needs of older patients. Patients aged 75 and over were allocated a named GP to help ensure their needs were met.
  • Good arrangements had been made to meet the needs of ‘end of life’ patients. Staff held regular palliative care meetings with other healthcare professionals to review the needs of these patients and ensure they were met.
  • The practice offered home visits and longer appointment times where these were needed by older patients. The practice had a visiting practice nurse who focussed on meeting the needs of patients in care homes.
  • Nationally reported data showed the practice had performed well in providing recommended care and treatment for the clinical conditions commonly associated with this population group. For example, performance for heart failure related indicators was better than the CCG and national average. The practice achieved 100% of the points available. This compared to an average performance of 98.7% across the CCG and 97.9% national average.

Working age people (including those recently retired and students)

Good

Updated 3 March 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of working-age people (including those recently retired and students).

  • The practice had assessed the needs of this group of patients and developed their services to help ensure they received a service, which was accessible, flexible and provided continuity of care.
  • The practice was proactive in offering online services as well as a full range of health promotion and screening that reflects the needs for this age group.
  • Nationally reported data showed the practice provided recommended care and treatment that was in line with or above national averages for this group of patients. For example, the percentage of patients with hypertension having regular blood pressure tests was better than the national average. 86% of patients had a reading measured within the last nine months, compared to 83.7% nationally.

People experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia)

Good

Updated 3 March 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia).

  • Nationally reported data showed performance for mental health related indicators was better than the local CCG and national averages.
  • The percentage of patients diagnosed with dementia whose care had been reviewed in a face-to-face review within the preceding 12 months was better than the national average at 90% (compared to a national average of 84.0%).
  • 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 told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.
  • They had a system in place to follow up patients who had attended accident and emergency where they may have been experiencing poor mental health.
  • Staff had a good understanding of how to support people with mental health needs and dementia. Staff had undertaken additional training in how to support people with dementia, and had signed up as dementia friends. The practice had dementia champions in place.
  • The practice had undertaken an audit of their facilities and developed an action plan to ensure they were suitable and accessible for patients with dementia type conditions.

People whose circumstances may make them vulnerable

Good

Updated 3 March 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 living in vulnerable circumstances including patients with learning disabilities.
  • Staff carried out annual health checks for patients who had a learning disability and offered longer appointments.
  • The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people.
  • Staff provided vulnerable patients with information about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.
  • Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse in vulnerable adults and children. Staff understood their responsibilities regarding information sharing, the documentation of safeguarding concerns and contacting relevant agencies.