Audley Health Centre

Updated 22 December 2016

Audley Health Centre (also known as Stepping Stone Practice) is located in Longton Close, Blackburn, BB1 1XA and provides general medical services and minor surgical services for people of all ages from a purpose built single storey building owned by NHS Property Services. The practice shares the building with other health care providers including a podiatrist and a treatment room managed by a local NHS Foundation Trust.

The practice is part of the NHS Blackburn with Darwen Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and provides services to approximately 5200 patients under a Personal Medical Services (PMS) contract with NHS England.

The average life expectancy of the practice population is comparable to the local average and slightly below the national average (80 years for females, compared to the local average of 80 and national average of 83 years, 74 years for males, compared to the local average of 76 and national average of 79 years).

The age distribution of the total practice’s patient population is broadly in line with local and national averages although it is noted there is a higher percentage of patients under the age of 18 years (28%) when compared to the CCG and national averages (25% and 21% respectively). There is also a lower percentage of patients over the age of 65 years (12%) when compared to the CCG and national averages (14% and 17% respectively).

The practice has a higher proportion of patients experiencing a long-standing health condition than the CCG and national averages (62% compared to the CCG and national averages of 56% and 54% respectively). The proportion of patients who are in paid work or full time education is lower (51%) than the CCG average of 57% and national average of 62% and the proportion of patients with an employment status of unemployed is 4% which is lower than the CCG average of 7% and the national average of 5%.

Information published by Public Health England rates the level of deprivation within the practice population group as one on a scale of one to ten. Level one represents the highest levels of deprivation and level ten the lowest.

The practice is staffed by three GP partners (Two male and one female) and two sessional GPs (one male and one female). In addition the practice employs two practice nurses and one healthcare assistant. Clinical staff are supported by a practice manager and a team of administration and reception staff.

The practice is open between 8.30am - 8pm Monday, 8.30am – 7.30pm Tuesday and between 8.30am – 7pm Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The practice is part of a federation of GP practices and patients are also able to attend appointments at a number of other local health centres as part of this arrangement.

Outside normal surgery hours, patients are advised to contact the out of hours service by dialling NHS 111, offered locally by the provider East Lancashire Medical Services.

Updated 22 December 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Audley Health Centre (also known as Stepping Stone Practice) on 27 October 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 a system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and generally well managed. We noted there were opportunities for the improvement of coordination and management of risk management activity with other building occupants.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with 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. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a GP and 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.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Review and improve the management and segregation of significant event and complaint records.
• Consider the development of systems and processes to gain assurance that all building related risks are identified and mitigated.
• Clarify and record responsibilities for shared areas of the practice building. Consider the development of systems and processes to gain assurance that appropriate checks of shared equipment in these areas are completed to ensure the equipment remains fit for use.
• Consider the development and implementation of systems and processes to ensure clinical audit activity is fully completed and effective.
• Review and improve practice policy review activity.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 22 December 2016

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

• Nursing staff had lead roles in chronic disease management and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority.

• Performance for diabetes related indicators was between 80% and 98% and this was comparable to the national average range of 78% to 94%.

• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.

• All these patients had a named GP and a structured annual review to check their health and medicines needs were being met. For those patients with the most complex needs, the named GP worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care.

Updated 22 December 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.

• 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.

• Cervical screening uptake data from 2014/15 for women aged 25-64 years was 82%, which was higher than the CCG average of 80% and the same as the national average of 82%.

• Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies.

• We saw positive examples of joint working with midwives, health visitors and school nurses.

Updated 22 December 2016

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

• The practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of the older people in its population.

• The practice was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs.

• The practice actively monitored patients at risk of hospital admission and discussed their needs at integrated team meetings.

Updated 22 December 2016

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

• The needs of the working age population, those recently retired and students had been identified and the practice had adjusted the services it offered to ensure these were accessible, flexible and offered 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.

• The practice offered telephone consultations for patients unable to attend the practice.

• The practice offered ’flu’ vaccination clinics outside of normal working hours.

Updated 22 December 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 those with a learning disability.

• The practice offered longer appointments for patients with a learning disability.

• The practice regularly worked with other health care professionals in the case management of vulnerable patients.

• The practice informed vulnerable patients about how to access various support groups and voluntary 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 normal working hours and out of hours.

Updated 22 December 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 those with a learning disability.

• The practice offered longer appointments for patients with a learning disability.

• The practice regularly worked with other health care professionals in the case management of vulnerable patients.

• The practice informed vulnerable patients about how to access various support groups and voluntary 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 normal working hours and out of hours