Pelaw Medical Practice

Updated 27 May 2016

Pelaw Medical Practice is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide primary care services.

The practice provides services to approximately 5,250 patients from one location at 7-8 Croxdale Terrace, Gateshead, NE10 0RR. This is the location we visited on the day of our inspection.

The practice is based in two converted terraced houses which are owned and managed by the partners. Rooms where patients are seen are located on the ground floor, with the exception of patients attending for minor surgical procedures. There is level access to the building, but no parking available for patients.

The practice has 18 members of staff, comprising three GP Partners (two female, one male), two salaried GPs (both female), two practice nurses (both female), one healthcare assistant (female), a practice manager, a practice administrator, two practice secretaries and three administrative/reception staff.

The practice is part of Newcastle Gateshead clinical commissioning group (CCG). Information taken from Public Health England placed the area in which the practice was located in the fifth most deprived decile. In general, people living in more deprived areas tend to have greater need for health services.

The surgery is open as follows:

• Monday: 8.30am to 6pm
• Tuesday: 8.30am to 6pm
• Wednesday: 8.30am to 12pm and 1pm to 6pm
• Thursday: 8.30am to 12pm and 1pm to 6pm
• Friday: 8.30am to 6pm

The telephone lines operate at all times during these opening hours. Outside of these times, a message on the surgery phone line directs patients to out of hours care, NHS 111 or 999 emergency services as appropriate. Appointments with a GP are available as follows:

• Monday to Friday: 9am to 11am, then from between 2.30pm and 3.30pm to between 5pm and 5.30pm
• Weekends: closed

The practice provides services to patients of all ages based on a General Medical Services (GMS) contract agreement for general practice. The practice population broadly reflects national averages, with slightly more patients than average between the ages of 30 and 54. The service for patients requiring urgent medical attention out of hours is provided by the NHS 111 service and GatDoc.

Updated 27 May 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Pelaw Medical Practice on 24 March 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 an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• 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 named 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/must make improvement are:

• Repair damaged seating in reception to make it easier to clean and reduce the risk of infections being spread.
• Ensure the front fire exit and the fire assembly points are clearly marked, that there are signs directing patients to the fire assembly point from the fire exit at the rear of the building, and that all fire extinguishers are serviced.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 27 May 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.
• The percentage of patients with asthma on the register who had received an asthma review had increased from 60.3% to 79.2% during the past 12 months.
• 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 27 May 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.
• 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.
• A GP at the practice ran a sexual health clinic which other practices in the area could refer their patients to.

Updated 27 May 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 their population.
• The practice was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs.
• 60.2% of patients aged 60 to 69 had been screened for bowel cancer in the last six months, compared to a local average of 57.7% and a national average of 55.4%.

Updated 27 May 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.
• 78% of women aged 25-64 had a record of a cervical screening test being performed in the preceding five years (April 2014 to March 2015), compared to the national average of 82%.

Updated 27 May 2016

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

• The percentage of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses who had a comprehensive, agreed care plan documented in the record had improved from 51.7% to 83.3% in the last 12 months.
• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of patients experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia.
• 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.

Updated 27 May 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 patients 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.