Archived: Dr B D Patel

Updated 2 August 2016

Dr D B Patel is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as a partnership provider.

The practice provides services via purpose built premises within Longton Health Centre and at the time of our inspection 3,000 patients were registered to receive care and treatment. The partnership arrangements comprise of two partners holding a General Medical Services contract with NHS England.

The practice demographic is broadly similar to the national average although the practice has around 5% less patients aged 65 years and older than the national average. The locality is one of increased deprivation than the clinical commissioning group (CCG) and national averages.

The practice is open on Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 8:30am to 7:30pm, Wednesday from 8:30am to 7pm and Thursday from 8:30am to 4:30pm. During these times telephone lines and the reception desk are staffed and remain open. When the practice is closed patients can access help by telephoning the practice, after which their call is transferred to the NHS 111 service for assistance. The practice has opted out of providing cover to patients outside of normal working hours. These out-of-hours services are provided by Staffordshire Doctors Urgent Care Limited.

Staffing at the practice includes:

• Two male GP partners giving a whole time equivalent (WTE) of 1.1.

• Two long term GP locums giving a WTE of 0.44 (one female, one male).

• Two female practice nurses giving a WTE of 1.

• One female healthcare assistant WTE of 0.43.

• The administrative team of seven is led by a practice manager and assistant practice manager.

Updated 2 August 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr B D Patel on 25 May 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.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• 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 make improvement are:

• Review the emergency medicines held to include treatment for symptomatic bradycardia (low heart rate causing adverse symptoms), or perform a risk assessment on why this would not be required.

• Improve, where possible, the number of patients participating in national cancer screening programmes.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 2 August 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 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) indicators was similar to local and national averages. For example, 90% of patients with COPD had received a review of their condition within the last year compared with the CCG average of 91% and national average of 90%.

• 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 2 August 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 77% compared with the CCG average of 80% and national average of 82%.

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

Updated 2 August 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.

• Although the practice had a lower than average number of patients of older age, the outcomes for patients in these group was positive. For example, the practice could demonstrate that over time unplanned admissions to hospital for patients aged 65 and over had reduced.

• The practice provided health checks to patients aged 75 years and over to detect for emerging health conditions. A total of 47 patients had received a proactive review of their wellbeing within the last 18 months.

Updated 2 August 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 2 August 2016

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

• The practice had a lower number of patients diagnosed with dementia than expected. However, staff had been proactive in screening for the condition and had performed 32 in house cognitive assessments for the emerging symptoms of dementia.

• Performance for poor mental health indicators was similar to local and national averages. For example, 88% of patients with enduring poor mental health had a recent comprehensive care plan in place compared with the CCG average of 86% and national average of 88%.

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

• We received positive feedback about how staff dealt with patients with patients experiencing poor mental health.

• 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 2 August 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 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.