Archived: Affinity Care

Updated 25 June 2015

Dr M Cuthbert and Partners practice, or Westcliffe Medical Practice as it is known locally, is located in the village of Shipley on the outskirts of Bradford. The practice provides personal medical care services for approximately 11,106 patients under the terms of the locally agreed NHS Primary Medical Services contract. The practice catchment area includes Moorhead, Saltaire, Baildon and Baildon Green. The practice is classed as being within the group of the fourth more deprived areas in England. The age profile of the practice population is broadly similar to other GP practices in the Bradford and District Commissioning Group (CCG) area.

The Partners of Dr Cuthbert and Partners practice hold other contracts with NHS England for the provision of personal medical services. This group of practices is known as the ‘Westcliffe group’.

In addition, the Westcliffe Group of practices work closely with Shipley Medical Centre, Haigh Hall Medical Centre and Sunnybank Medical Practice as part of a confederation to further develop patient care services.

Four of the GP partners, three female and one male, hold regular weekly clinical sessions at the practice. They are supported by three male and one female salaried GPs and up to three qualified doctors for a six to twelve month clinical placement as part of the GP training scheme. In addition the practice has six advanced nurse practitioners, three practice nurses, one assistant practitioner, two healthcare assistants an echo cardiologist, a pharmacist and a team of administrative and management staff.

The practice is open from 7.30am until 7.00pm Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and 8.30am to 7pm on Thursday and Friday. Between 8am and 8.30am on Thursday and Friday the practice reception is open to answer telephone calls and the on call GP is available to speak to patients over the telephone. It is open on Saturdays from 8.30am until 2pm. GP appointments are available during the opening times and lunch period twice a week. Minor surgery, diabetes, asthma, family planning, antenatal and mother and baby clinics are run each week. Out of hours care is provided by Local Care Direct and could be accessed via dialling the surgery telephone number or NHS 111 service.

Dr Cuthbert and Partners is registered to provide; diagnostic and screening procedures, family planning, maternity and midwifery services surgical procedures and the treatment of disease, disorder or injury from Westcliffe Medical Centre, Westcliffe Road, Shipley, Bradford, BD18 3EE.

Updated 25 June 2015

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr M Cuthbert and Partners on 25 February 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, caring, effective, responsive and well led services. It was also good for providing services for all of the population groups.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. All opportunities for learning from internal and external incidents were maximised.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment. Information was provided to help patients understand the care available to them.
• The practice implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a consequence of feedback from patients and from the Patient Participation Group (PPG).
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. Information about how to complain was available and easy to understand
• The practice had a clear vision which had quality and safety as its top priority. High standards were promoted and owned by all practice staff with evidence of team working across all roles.

We saw some areas of outstanding practice including:

• The practice held themed open days for patients to provide further information, advice and support about certain health matters. The themes included a chronic obstructive airways (COPD) awareness open day which provided the opportunity to meet the new nurse practitioner who specialised in COPD. Know your blood pressure, dying matters and resuscitation for babies. A carers event was also held and a heart rhythm day. The events were planned for the year and advertised via leaflets, posters and word of mouth in the practice. Staff told us they were well attended by patients.
• The practice employed a community matron to supported patients’ living in residential and nursing homes as well as their own homes. This provided closer monitoring of patients’ in their home and ensured they had a care plan in place to deliver appropriate care and treatment. This reduced the number of days patients with long term conditions spent in hospital following an emergency admission. The practice was 4% lower than the CCG average.
• Patients had access to an area on their electronic patient record which provided ‘self-care’ support. It allowed patients, with the continued support of the GP, to make decisions using data from their electronic health record to change their lifestyle and improve their overall health.

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

Importantly the provider should:

• Review arrangements for the storage and tracking of electronic prescriptions within the practice to meet national guidance.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 25 June 2015

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 practice employed a community matron who would see patients in their own home. 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 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. Patients had access to an area on their electronic patient record which provided ‘self-care’ support. It allowed patients, with the continued support of the GP, to make decisions using data from their electronic health record to change their lifestyle and improve their overall health.

Updated 25 June 2015

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 accident and emergency (A&E) attendances. Immunisation rates were relatively high for all standard childhood immunisations. Patients told us 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 good examples of joint working with midwives and health visitors.

Updated 25 June 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people. Nationally reported data showed outcomes for patients were above average for conditions commonly found in 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. People over the age of 75 had a named GP who was supported by a buddy GP to promote continuity of care. It was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and rapid access appointments for those with enhanced needs.

Updated 25 June 2015

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 which reflects the needs for this age group.

Updated 25 June 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). Ninety four percent of people experiencing poor mental health had received an annual physical health check. The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of people experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia. It 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. It had a system in place to follow up patients who had attended A&E where they may have been experiencing poor mental health. Staff had received training on how to care for people with mental health needs and dementia.

Updated 25 June 2015

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 people and those with a learning disability. It had carried out annual health checks for people with a learning disability. The practice offered longer appointments for people with a learning disability.

The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people. It had told 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.