Archived: Lingsbrook GP Practice

Updated 22 January 2015

Lings Brook GP Practice is situated on the Eastern side of Northampton in a primary care centre which is shared with three other GP practices.  The practice has a patient list of 4100, 70% of which are aged between 19 and 75 years and just 2.5% over 75 years.  The area is identified as being in social deprivation. There is a GP clinical lead (who works across both Lings Brook and its partner practice in the Kings Heath area of Northampton); two salaried GPs; an advanced practitioner nurse (who is based in Kings Heath and covering the practice nurse vacancy); a practice manager, an assistant practice manager and five non-clinical staff including receptionists and administrators.  The registered manager is a regional manager for Virgin Care Coventry LLP.  There are two female GPs (including the clinical lead) and one male GP. 

As part of this inspection we visited Lings Brook GP Practice, Weston Favell Centre, Billingbrook Road, Northampton NN3 8DW.

The contract held by Virgin Care Coventry LLP for the services provided at Lings Brook GP Practice is an APMS contract.  The contract also covers Kings Heath GP Practice which is registered separately with CQC.

The practice has opted out of providing an out of hours service to their patients.  Patients are directed NHS 111 when the practice is closed.

Updated 22 January 2015

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We inspected Lings Brook GP Practice on 21 October 2014.  This was a comprehensive inspection.  The practice was selected because we had not inspected it previously.

Lings Brook GP Practice is managed by Virgin Care Coventry LLP under an Alternative Provider medical Services (APMS) contract.  The contract also covers Kings Heath GP Practice but this location is separately registered with CQC and was not visited as part of this inspection.

The overall rating for this practice is ‘Good’.

Our key findings were as follows:

• The practice met the needs of its population by working closely with other stakeholders to ensure that patients’ health and well-being needs were met.
• Although the practice had been challenged in providing access to GPs due to staff turnover, they had taken steps to improve that access and continuously reviewed  how the changes they had made were impacting upon patients.

However, there were also areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

The provider should:

• ensure that the responsibilities held by the clinical lead are shared with the recently recruited salaried GPs and practice nurse.
• actively promote the availability of health interventions such as seasonal flu vaccinations in the practice and on the website.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 22 January 2015

The practice is rated as good for the population group of people with long term conditions.  Emergency processes were  in place and referrals made for patients in this group that had a sudden deterioration in health. When needed longer appointments and home visits were available. All these patients had a named GP and structured annual reviews  to check their health and medication needs were being met. For those people with the most complex needs the named GP worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care.

Updated 22 January 2015

The practice is rated as good for the population group of families, children and young people.  Systems were in place for identifying and following-up children living in disadvantaged circumstances and who were at risk. Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies. We were provided with good examples of joint working with midwives, health visitors and school nurses.  Emergency processes were  in place and referrals made for children and pregnant women who had a sudden deterioration in health.

Updated 22 January 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people.  Nationally reported data showed the practice had good outcomes for conditions commonly found amongst older people.  The practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of the older people in its population and had a range of enhanced services, for example in dementia and end of life care.  The practice was responsive to the needs of older people, including offering home visits and rapid access appointments for those with enhanced needs and home visits.

Updated 22 January 2015

The practice is rated as good for the population group of the 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 offer continuity of care. The practice was proactive in offering online services as well as a full range of health promotion and screening which reflects the needs for this age group.

Updated 22 January 2015

The practice is rated as good for the population group of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of people experiencing poor mental health including those with dementia. The practice had in place advance care planning for patients with dementia. 

The practice had sign-posted patients experiencing poor mental health to various support groups. The practice had a system in place to follow up on patients who had attended accident and emergency where there may have been mental health needs. Staff had received training on how to care for people with mental health needs and dementia

Updated 22 January 2015

The practice is rated as good for the population group of people whose circumstances may make  them vulnerable. The practice held a register of patients living in vulnerable circumstances including those with learning disabilities. The practice had planned annual health checks for people with learning disabilities but due to staffing shortages had fallen behind with them.  Vacancies had now been filled and the reviews ideintified as a priority.

The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people. The practice had sign-posted vulnerable patients to various support groups.. 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 and out of hours.