Heaton Mersey Medical Practice

Updated 3 January 2017

Heaton Mersey Medical Practice is located near Stockport. There were 7980 patients on the practice register at the time of our inspection. The practice population was racially and culturally diverse. For example, 15% of patients were Asian.

The practice is managed by five GP partners (two male, three female). There is an advanced nurse practitioner, two practice nurses and an assistant practitioner. The practice had recently recruited a pharmacist and offered training to paramedics and student nurses. Members of clinical staff are supported by a practice manager, reception and administration staff.

The practice telephone is available between 8.30am to 6.30pm every weekday with the exception of Friday when it closes at 6pm.The practice offers pre-bookable appointments from 7.30am on Tuesday and Thursday and also has later appointments on Mondays and Tuesday evenings to 7.30pm. The practice is also open on a Saturday morning once a month. Patients requiring a GP outside of normal working hours are advised to contact the GP out of hours service (Mastercall) by calling 111.

The practice has a Personal Medical Services (PMS) contract and has enhanced services contracts which include childhood vaccinations. The practice is part of NHS Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group.

Updated 3 January 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Heaton Mersey Medical Practice on 5 December. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• The practice was clean and had good facilities including disabled access, translation services and a hearing loop. However, there was no car park for patients.
• There were systems in place to mitigate safety risks including analysing significant events and safeguarding.
• The practice was aware of and had systems in place to ensure compliance with the requirements of the duty of candour. (The duty of candour is a set of specific legal requirements that providers of services must follow when things go wrong with care and treatment).
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered in line with current legislation.
• 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. The practice sought patient views about improvements that could be made to the service; including having a virtual patient participation group (PPG) and acted, where possible, on feedback.
• Staff worked well together as a team and all felt valued and supported to carry out their roles.

There were elements of outstanding practice:-

• The practice had developed a new patient questionnaire to take into account the needs of asylum seekers to screen for any communicable diseases, vaccination status and any safeguarding issues.
• The practice liaised with Age UK to send out questionnaires to patients to identify any additional support required.
• Staff had access to a freedom to speak up guardian if they had any concerns about the practice.

However. the practice should:

• Update the Health and Safety poster for staff to include contacts for local health and safety representatives.
• Monitor the contents of the first aid kit for expiry dates and remove any outdated items.
• Extend the documentation of audits to show standards and actions taken to demonstrate quality improvement.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 3 January 2017

The practice is rated as good for providing services for people with long term conditions. The practice had registers in place for several long term conditions including diabetes and asthma. Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed. All these patients had a structured annual review to check their health and medicines needs were being met. There were educational appointments provided for newly diagnosed diabetics. The Advanced Nurse Practitioner carried out tests and treatments for diabetic patients that would normally have to be done at hospital.The practice had a nebuliser service whereby nebulisers were available for home loan for patients for the acute management of respiratory conditions.

For those patients with the most complex needs, the GP worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care. 

Updated 3 January 2017

The practice is rated as good for providing services for families, children and young people. The practice regularly liaised with health visitors and school nurses to review vulnerable children and new mothers. 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. 

Updated 3 January 2017

The practice is rated as good for providing services for older people. The practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of the older people in its population and offered home visits and care home visits. The practice carried out regular ward rounds for one care home and also saw patients in other care homes. The practice participated in meetings with other healthcare professionals to discuss any concerns. There was a named GP for the over 75s.  The practice liaised with Age UK to send out questionnaires to identify any additional support required.

Updated 3 January 2017

The practice is as rated good for providing services for working age people. The needs of this population group had been identified and the practice had adjusted the services it offered to ensure these were accessible. There were online systems available to allow patients to make appointments. The practice offered extended hours with pre-bookable early morning and evening appointments available. The practice was also open one Saturday a month. 

Updated 3 January 2017

The practice is rated as good for providing services for people experiencing poor mental health. Patients experiencing poor mental health received an invitation for an annual physical health check. Patients with dementia were reviewed every six months.  

Updated 3 January 2017

The practice is rated as good for providing services for people whose circumstances make them vulnerable. The practice held a register of patients living in vulnerable circumstances including those with a learning disability. It had carried out annual health checks and longer appointments were available for people with a learning disability. There were visiting counsellors.

The practice had developed a new patient questionnaire to take into account the needs of asylum seekers to screen for any communicable diseases, vaccination status and any safeguarding issues.