Archived: River Brook Medical Centre

Updated 9 October 2017

River Brook Medical Centre is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as a GP partnership in Stirchley, Birmingham. The practice holds a General Medical Services (GMS) contract with NHS England. A GMS contract is a contract between NHS England and general practices for delivering general medical services and is the commonest form of GP contract.

The practice population is experiences significant levels of deprivation. For example, 22% of the older patients are affected by income deprivation compared to the national average of 16%. At the time of our inspection the practice had approximately 6,200 patients. The practice age distribution is in line with the national and CCG area. The percentage of patients with a long-standing health condition is 58%, which is higher than the local CCG average of 52% and the national average of 54%.

The practice is open between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday except Wednesdays when it closes between 1.30pm and 5pm (during this time a telephone message directed patients to the NHS 111 service and out of hours GP cover is in place). The practice provides a mixture of pre-bookable and urgent appointments between 8am and 11.50am and 1.30pm to 8pm Monday to Friday. On a Saturday appointments are available between 8am and 2pm and on a Sunday between 10am and 2pm. Appointments can be booked up to four weeks in advance. The practice does not routinely provide an out-of-hours service for their own patients but patients are directed to the out of hours service, Badger when the practice is closed. The nearest A&E department is at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and the nearest walk in centre is South Birmingham Walk In Centre in Selly Oak.

The practice team consists of:

• Three GP partners (one male, two female)
• Two salaried GPs (one male, one female)

• An advanced nurse practitioner (seconded)
• One practice nurse (currently seconded, new nurse recruited for January 2017)
• One research nurse (funded by Birmingham University)
• A health care assistant
• Clinical pharmacists (4 working total of 16 hours per week provided by South Doc)
• A practice manager
• Six reception and administrative staff.

The practice provides a number of specialist clinics and services. For example joint injections, acupuncture and cryotherapy (the use of low temperatures in medical therapy). It also hosts other services for external providers available to both registered and non-registered patients. For example, pre-diabetes education and ultrasound services.  The practice is a teaching practice for medical students to gain experience and higher qualifications in general practice and family medicine. They are also a training practice and provide postgraduate training for newly qualified doctors as well as support placements for physician assistants, GP associates and nurses.

Updated 9 October 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We previously carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at River Brook Medical Centre on 12 December 2016. As a result of our inspection the practice was rated as good overall but required improvement for providing safe services. The full comprehensive report on the December 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for River Brook Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was a desk-based focused inspection carried out on 21 August 2017. This was to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breach in regulations we identified in our previous inspection on 12 December 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

• The practice had introduced appropriate recruitment procedures to ensure that persons employed met the required conditions. They had sought advice from a human resource service to assist them in ensuring all the necessary checks had been included. For example, references, photographic identification, and evidence of previous employment.

• The practice had addressed coding issues in their clinical system and could demonstrate that health checks were being offered and carried out for patients with learning disabilities. This process also incorporated calling carers and patients aged over 75 for annual health checks. The practice submitted evidence to show that, for example, 71% of learning disability health checks had been completed up to August 2017. They searched their registers monthly to identify eligible patients and invited them to the practice for health checks.
• The practice provided evidence to confirm that that oxygen masks for children had been purchased for use in the event of a child emergency.
• The practice’s safeguarding policy had been reviewed and updated to include all types of potential abuse.

• The practice had carried out a comprehensive infection control audit in November 2016 and introduced the use of documentation which allowed for review and follow up in the future. All staff had received infection control training.

• The practice manager had introduced a formal programme of appraisals which involved identification of review dates for the following year at the end of each appraisal. The annual appraisal programme included a review of training needs.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 9 October 2017

Following our comprehensive inspection on 12 December 2016 we rated the practice as good for the population group of people with long-term conditions. We did not review any evidence during our desk based focused inspection to alter this rating.

Updated 9 October 2017

Following our comprehensive inspection on 12 December 2016 we rated the practice as good for the population group of families, children and young people. We did not review any evidence during our desk based focused inspection to alter this rating.

Updated 9 October 2017

Following our comprehensive inspection on 12 December 2016 we rated the practice as good for the population group of older people. We did not review any evidence during our desk based focused inspection to alter this rating.

Updated 9 October 2017

Following our comprehensive inspection on 12 December 2016 we rated the practice as good for the population group of working age people (including those recently retired and students). We did not review any evidence during our desk based focused inspection to alter this rating.

Updated 9 October 2017

Following our comprehensive inspection on 12 December 2016 we rated the practice as good for the population group of people experiencing poor mental health. We did not review any evidence during our desk based focused inspection to alter this rating.

Updated 9 October 2017

Following our comprehensive inspection on 12 December 2016 we rated the practice as good for the population group of people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. We did not review any evidence during our desk based focused inspection to alter this rating.