Upperthorpe Medical Centre

Updated 12 June 2017

Upperthorpe Medical Centre is located in Sheffield city centre and has a branch surgery at Ecclesall. The practice provides services for 11,200 patients under the terms of the NHS General Medical Services contract. The practice catchment area is classed as within the group of the fifth more deprived areas in England. The age profile of the practice population is similar to other GP practices in the Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area.

The practice has seven GP partners (four female and three male), three practice nurses and one healthcare assistant.  They are supported by a team of practice management staff and an administration team. The practice is open between 9 am to 12.30 and 2 pm to 6 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and 9 am to 12 midday on Thursdays. Appointments with staff are available at various times throughout the day. Extended hours are offered on Mondays and Fridays from 7 am to 8 am and Saturdays from 8.30 am to 10 am. Patients requesting same day appointments are triaged over the telephone and offered a face to face appointment if required. When the practice is closed calls were are answered by the out-of-hours service which is accessed via the surgery telephone number or by calling the NHS 111 service.

Updated 12 June 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Upperthorpe Medical Centre on 15 September 2016. The overall rating for the practice was ‘good’ with ‘requires improvement’ for the ‘well led’ domain. The full comprehensive report on the 15 September 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Upperthorpe Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced desktop inspection carried out on Monday 15 May 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 15 September 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements.

Overall the practice is now rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks were in place for all administrative staff who acted as chaperones.
• Prescriptions were tracked through the practice to comply with NHS Protect Security of prescription forms guidance 2013.
• An infection prevention and control audit had been carried out at the branch surgery.
• Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman details had been added to the practice complaints leaflet.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 28 October 2016

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

• Nursing staff had lead roles in long term condition chronic disease management and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority.
• Performance for diabetes related indicators was similar to the CCG and national average. For example, the percentage of patients with diabetes, on the register who had a foot examination in the preceding 12 months was 87% (CCG average and national average 88%.
• 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 28 October 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.
• The practice’s uptake for the cervical screening programme was 94%, which was higher than the CCG average of 89% and 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 and health visitors. 

Updated 28 October 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.
• A named GP took the lead for two nursing and residential homes allocated to the practice. They held a weekly clinic at the home incorporating medication and long term condition reviews along with regular appointments.  The matron that we spoke to on the day of inspection at one of the nursing homes described the services offered by the practice as 'exemplary'

Updated 28 October 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. 

Updated 28 October 2016

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

• 82% of patients diagnosed with dementia had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months, which is comparable to the CCG average of 86% and the national average of 84%.
• Performance for mental health related indicators was higher than the CCG and national average. For example, the percentage of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses who had a comprehensive, agreed care plan documented in the record in the preceding 12 months was 98% (CCG average 90%; national average 88%).
• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of patients experiencing poor mental health, including those living with dementia.
• The practice carried out advance care planning for patients living with dementia.
• The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.
• The practice 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 patients with mental health needs and those living with dementia.

Updated 28 October 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 homeless people and 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.