Outwood Park Medical Centre

Updated 21 September 2016

The practice operates from a main surgery which is located at Outwood Park Medical Centre, Potovens Lane, Outwood, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF1 2PE; it also delivers services from a branch surgery at Wrenthorpe Health Centre, Wrenthorpe Lane, Wrenthorpe, Wakefield WF2 0NL. The practice serves a patient population of around 13,300 patients and is a member of NHS Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group.

The main surgery is situated in purpose built premises which opened in 2000. The surgery is located over two floors and is accessible for those with a physical disability as floor services are level, doorways are wide and fitted with automatic doors. There is parking available on the site for patients. The branch surgery is also located in a purpose built premises which is accessible to those with a disability and there is limited parking available nearby.

The practice population age profile shows that it is above both the CCG and England averages for those over 65 years old (20% compared to the CCG average of 18% and England average of 17%). Average life expectancy for the practice population is 79 years for males and 82 years for females (CCG average is 77 years and 81 years and the England average is 79 years and 83 years respectively). The practice population is predominantly White British.

The practice provides services under the terms of the Personal Medical Services (PMS) contract. In addition the practice offers a range of enhanced local services including those in relation to:

• Childhood vaccination and immunisation

• Influenza and Pneumococcal immunisation

• Rotavirus and Shingles immunisation

• Extended hours access

• Dementia support

• Risk profiling and care management

• Support to reduce unplanned admissions

• Improving patient online access

• Minor surgery

• Patient participation

As well as these enhanced services the practice also offers additional services such as those supporting long term conditions management including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, heart disease and hypertension, and physiotherapy.

Attached to the practice or closely working with the practice is a team of community health professionals that includes health visitors, midwives, members of the district nursing team and health trainers.

The practice has four GP partners (three male, one female), three salaried GPs (one male, two female), one GP registrar (female) and uses the services of two regular locums. In addition there are three practice nurses (all female), one healthcare assistant and one phlebotomist (both female). Clinical staff are supported by a practice manager, an assistant practice manager, an office manager and an administration and reception team. In addition the practice also has the services of a pharmacist and physiotherapists on site.

The practice appointments include:

• On the day appointments

• Pre-bookable appointments

• Telephone triage/consultations where patients could speak to a GP or nurse to ask advice and if identified obtain an appointment

Appointments can be made in person, via the telephone or online.

The practice is open between 8am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday. Surgery times were:

Outwood Park Medical Centre 8am – 11.15am and 2pm – 6.30pm Monday to Friday

Wrenthorpe Health Centre 8.45am – 11.15am and 2.45pm – 5.15pm Monday to Friday

Additionally the practice works with other local GPs to offer appointments from 6.30pm to 8pm Monday to Friday and from 9am to 3pm on a Saturday; these are available from the Outwood Park Medical Centre.

The practice is accredited as a training practice and supports GP trainees.

Out of hours care is provided by Local Care Direct Limited and is accessed via the practice telephone number or patients can contact NHS 111.

Updated 21 September 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Outwood Park Medical Centre on 12 July 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.
• 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.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

• The practice had recognised that many of their most vulnerable patients were unable to attend either their main or branch surgeries. This meant that they often required home visits and therefore received reactive rather than proactive health care. In response to this the practice had commissioned another local health and care provider to deliver a patient transport service which would pick up the patient from home and then take them back home post consultation/treatment. Calls for this service were triaged by a GP in a similar way to calls for home visits. Between the launch of the service on 4 July 2016 and 27 July 2016 the service had been used by 36 patients and satisfaction with the service was reported to be high.

There were areas where the provider should make improvements:

• The practice should consider the provision of a defibrillator at the branch surgery, or undertake a formal risk assessment as to how to manage emergency situations with the equipment currently available. In addition, the practice should ensure that all staff are aware of the action they should take in event of an emergency occurring in either of the surgeries.

• The practice should consider carrying out a full health and safety risk assessment in relation to their patient transport service.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 21 September 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long-term conditions.

• GPs and nursing staff had lead roles in chronic disease management and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority. The practice actively managed registers of patients with long-term conditions such as diabetes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma. These patients were invited for structured reviews which were carried out at least annually. During reviews personalised care plans were developed with input from the patients concerned.

• Performance for diabetes related indicators was similar to local and national averages. For example, 75% of patients with diabetes had an HbA1C result which was within normal parameters, compared to 76% locally and 77% nationally (HbA1c is a blood test which can help to measure diabetes management).

• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed. The home visits were triaged by the practice and those deemed as urgent or high need were prioritised.

• The practice had identified the needs of diabetic patients and had developed a specialist diabetic clinic. In addition, a diabetic consultant and specialist nurse attended the practice to support diabetic patients with complex needs. This reduced the need for diabetic patients to attend secondary care services.

• 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 21 September 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.

• The practice’s uptake for the cervical screening programme was 86%, which was above the CCG average of 83% and the national average of 82%.

• Extended appointments were available for six-eight week baby checks.

• The nominated health visitor for the practice attended monthly clinical meetings with staff from the practice.

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

• The practice was working towards attaining young people friendly accreditation.

Updated 21 September 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. For example, the practice had recognised the needs of patients, many elderly, who could not attend the GP main or branch surgeries. To meet this need the practice had developed a patient transport service which arranged to pick up and transport patients using trained staff in a designated vehicle. It is felt that this service gave patients access improved levels of care and reduced the need for home visits.

• The practice carried out activities which sought to avoid unplanned admission to hospital which included the identification of vulnerable patients, care planning, regular reviews, and analysis of ongoing need at discharge should a patient be admitted to hospital. Patients identified as being at risk due to social influences are referred to a local health and wellbeing team or signposted to appropriate services such as those in the voluntary sector. At the time of inspection 220 patients were covered by this service.

• The practice delivered weekly clinical sessions to 48 practice patients in residential care.

• The practice hosted abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening for both identified individuals and self-referred patients (this screening sought to detect dangerous swellings (aneurysms) of the aorta - the main blood vessel that runs from the heart, down through the abdomen to the rest of the body). 

Updated 21 September 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, the practice participated in the catch up programme for students aged 17 and over for measles, mumps and rubella and meningitis C vaccinations.

• A GP triage service was available for telephone consultations during the day. This was useful for patients who for example may be at work and were unable to visit the practice.

• Late evening and Saturday appointments were available to patients; this service was delivered from Outwood Park Medical Centre in conjunction with GPs and nurses from other practices.

• 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 21 September 2016

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

• 99% of patients diagnosed with dementia who had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months, which was better than the local and national averages of 84%.

• Performance for mental health related indicators was better than local and to the national averages. For example, 96% of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder or other psychoses had a comprehensive, agreed care plan documented in the record in the preceding 12 months compared to a CCG average of 89% and a national average of 88%.

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

• The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.

• To meet local need the practice had increased nurse availability for patients with mental health problems to 40 appointments a week, this was achieved by an increase in ten hours of nurse time per week. These appointments provided timely access to a known nurse who was able to give information and support. Longer appointments were available during these sessions.

• A local mental health service provider delivered weekly sessions at the main surgery. These were access either on a referred or self-referral basis.

• In partnership with the patient reference group (PRG) the practice had held a dementia awareness event in August 2014. Feedback for this event was very positive and there were plans to hold a similar event in the autumn of 2016.

Updated 21 September 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 and the frail elderly with complex needs. Such patients were offered longer appointments.

• 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.

• Practice staff had received training on the identification of carers and had hosted an event to raise awareness of carer’s issues.

• 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.

• The practice provided medical services for a local homeless shelter, and staff were aware of the specific needs of these patients.