Downing Drive Surgery Also known as Downing Drive Surgery

Updated 17 November 2016

Dr AJJ Bentley and Partners provides primary medical services to approximately 6,921 patients in Leicester City. The practice also provides services to patients residing in two residential care and nursing homes in the surrounding area.

The practice has a higher than average distribution of patients aged 49 years and over and a very high number of patients over the age of 75 with an even distribution of male/female patients.

The practice employed five GP partners, one salaried GP (two male GPs and four female GPs), a practice manager, an assistant practice manager, three practice nurses, two health care assistants, a phlebotomist and a team of reception and administration staff.

The practice has a General Medical Services (GMS) contract. The GMS contract is the contract between general practices and NHS England for delivering care services to local communities.

The practice is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to provide the regulated activities of; the treatment of disease, disorder and injury; diagnostic and screening procedures; maternity and midwifery services and surgical procedures.

The practice is open from 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday. GP appointments are available from 8.30am until 12 noon and from 3.30pm until 5.20pm. Nurse appointments are available from 8am until 12 noon and from 2pm until 6pm. The practice provides extended opening hours on a Tuesday and Thursday from 6.30pm until 8.30pm. Pre-bookable appointments and on the day ’urgent’ appointments are available. Pre-bookable appointments can be booked up to six weeks in advance. The practice also provides a home visit service for patients. The practice offers on-line services for patients such as on-line appointment booking, ordering repeat prescriptions and viewing patient care records.

The practice is a training practice and delivers training to GP Registrars. A GP Registrar is a fully qualified Doctor who is training to become a GP.

The practice has an active patient participation group (PPG) who meet monthly.

The practice has car parking and pedestrian access and additional parking is available on the streets near to the practice.

The practice lies within the NHS Leicester City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). A CCG is an organisation that brings together local GPs and experienced health professionals to take on commissioning responsibilities for local health services.

Updated 17 November 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced desk based follow up inspection on 19 September 2016 to follow up concerns we found at Dr AJJ Bentley and Partners on 21 October 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. The practice had carried out a detailed risk assessment regarding legionella.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 6 April 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.

• Nursing staff provided home visits for patients.

• Performance for diabetes related indicators was 100% which was better than the CCG average of 85.2% and national average of 89.2%.

• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.

• 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 multi-disciplinary package of care.

• The practice achieved a high rate of atrial fibrillation detection in Leicester City (2.7% of patient population) and provided in-house management as per NICE guidelines to reduce the risk of patients identified from suffering from a stroke.

• 94% of patients suffering from a long-term health condition had received a review in the last 12 months.

• There were GP clinical leads in place for chronic disease management supported by a nurse lead.

• There were two nurses in the practice who specialised in Diabetes management.

• The PPG focussed on promoting health and wellbeing in the community and arranged education sessions for patients in the practice.

• The practice had plans to build an extension to their premises which would provide accommodation to deliver educational to larger groups of patient sessions regarding long term conditions.

• The practice provided an in-house smoking cessation service.

Updated 6 April 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.

• Childhood immunisation rates for the vaccinations given were higher than CCG/national averages. For example, childhood immunisation rates for the vaccinations given to under two year olds ranged from 94.7% to 100% and five year olds from 93% to 100%. We saw positive examples of joint working with midwives, health visitors and school nurses. A named health visitor attended weekly meetings in the practice

• 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 78.3%, which was higher than the CCG average of 73.3%.

• Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies, baby changing facilities were available and also a children’s play area.

• Chlamydia testing kits were provided to patients who requested them.

• Training was provided to receptionists regarding ‘spotting the sick child’ and NICE guidelines were available in each consulting room.

• Flexible appointments were available for child immunisations.

• Text reminders were sent to patients who missed an appointment for childhood immunisations encouraging patients to re-book.

Updated 6 April 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.

• Patients received personalised care plans from a named GP to support continuity of care.

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

• The premises were accessible to patients with mobility difficulties; a wheelchair was available in the practice for patients who required this.

• The percentage of people aged 65 or over who received a seasonal flu vaccination was higher than the national average.

• Those at high risk of hospital admission and end of life care needs were identified and reviewed regularly, this included working with other health professionals to provide co-ordinated care.

• The practice referred directly to Age UK, British Red Cross, wellbeing groups and befriending services.

• The patient participation group (PPG) held weekly coffee mornings at a local church to provide a befriending service for patients.

Updated 6 April 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. For example, extended hours appointments were available and online services such as ordering repeat prescriptions and appointment booking for the convenience of patients who worked or had other commitments during the day.

• 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.

• A range of health promotion and screening was available including NHS health checks, smoking cessation and travel advice and vaccinations.

• An automated arrival machine was available to give patients the opportunity to arrive themselves for their appointment rather than speak to a receptionist.

Updated 6 April 2016

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

• Performance for mental health related indicators was 100% which was better than the CCG 90.5% and national average of 92.8%.

• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of people experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia.

• The practice provided the services of a mental health worker for patients suffering poor mental health.

• The practice carried out advance care planning for patients 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 dementia.

• The practice participated in a dementia shared care prescribing scheme and prescribed medications for patients suffering with dementia.

Updated 6 April 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 for example those with a learning disability. The practice offered longer appointments for patients with a learning disability.

• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people and ensured care plans and regular reviews were in place.

• 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. The safeguarding lead provided in house training to staff on how to recognise sings of abuse. 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.

• There were alerts on patient care records to alert clinicians of specific needs of vulnerable families and children.

• All staff received Mental Capacity Act training and were aware of how to ensure patients were involved in decisions about their care.

• All GPs had received had Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) training.

• All staff have had received safeguarding adults training.

• All patients identified as vulnerable had a care plan in place which was reviewed regularly.