Archived: Wardles Lane Surgery Also known as Dr A B Patel and Dr D A Patel Partnership

Updated 4 June 2015

Wardles Lane Surgery is located in Great Wyrley, Walsall and is part of the NHS Cannock Chase Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). A CCG is a group of general practices that work together to plan and design local health services in England. They do this by 'commissioning' or buying health and care services. The practice is located in a purpose built health centre, built in 1971.Two other GP practices and a variety of other health care professionals including District Nurses, Health Visitors, Community Midwives and Physiotherapists also occupy parts of the building. Wardles Lane Surgery total practice patient population is 1999. The practice is in an area considered as seventh less deprived when compared nationally. People living in more deprived areas tend to have greater need for health services.

The staff team currently comprises of two partner GPs, one male and one female. The male GP provides seven sessions per week and the female GP; two practice and one administration session and alternative Friday afternoon on call sessions. The practice team includes a practice manager, a practice nurse, a senior receptionist and three reception staff. Including the GPs there are eight staff in total employed either full or part time hours.

Wardles Lane Surgery opening times are Monday: 8am to 7.30pm, Tuesday to Thursday: 8am to 6.30pm and Friday: 8am to 1pm. Emergency telephone calls are responded to between 1.00pm and 2.00pm daily and Friday afternoons until 6.30pm.

The practice does not provide an out-of-hours service to its own patients but has alternative arrangements for patients to be seen when the practice is closed through the out of hours service operated via the111 service.

The practice has a General Medical Services (GMS) contract with NHS England. This is a contract for the practice to deliver general medical services to the local community or communities and is a former fund holding practice.

Updated 4 June 2015

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Wardles Lane Surgery on 8 April 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing a safe, well-led, effective, responsive and caring service. It was also rated as good for providing services for all population groups.

Our key findings were as follows;

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.

• The majority of patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.

• Information was provided to help patients understand the care available to them.

• The appointment system was sensitive to the needs of the population groups and offered extended hours every Monday.

• All staff understood their responsibilities in raising concerns and reporting incidents and near misses.

• The practice linked with the Clinical Commissioning Group and other local providers to enhance services and share best practice.

• Complaints were sensitively handled and patients are kept informed of the outcome of their comments and complaints.

• 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 a clear vision which had quality and safety as its top priority.

However, there were also areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

The provider should:

• Ensure that fire drills are carried out and records maintained.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 4 June 2015

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

There were emergency processes in place and referrals were made for patients whose health deteriorated suddenly. Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed. All these patients had a structured annual review to check that their health and medication needs were being met. For those people with the most complex needs, the named GP worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care. We saw that 96% of patients at the practice with diabetes had received an annual review.

Updated 4 June 2015

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 any 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 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. 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. Emergency processes were in place and referrals were made for children and pregnant women whose health deteriorated suddenly.

Updated 4 June 2015

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

Nationally reported data showed that outcomes for patients were good for conditions commonly found in older people. The practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of the older people in its population and had a range of enhanced services, for example, in dementia and end of life care. It was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits, rapid access appointments and longer appointments for those with enhanced needs. The GP carried out scheduled home visits to these patients and regular health check reviews.

Updated 4 June 2015

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 a full range of health promotion and screening that reflected the needs for this age group.

Updated 4 June 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). All patients experiencing poor mental health had received an annual physical health check. The practice GP ensured they were kept informed of any changes in the case management of patients experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia. The practice carried out advanced care planning for patients with dementia. The practice worked with and had access to an ‘In house’ memory care facilitator, who offered support to patients with dementia and their families within a more familiar practice setting.

The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various support groups and had literature they could make available to patients about voluntary organisations such as MIND. It had a system in place to follow up patients who had attended accident and emergency (A&E) where they may have been experiencing poor mental health.

Updated 4 June 2015

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. It had carried out annual health checks for patients with a learning disability and all had received a follow-up. It offered longer appointments for patients with a learning disability.

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.