Archived: The University Health Centre

Updated 4 February 2016

The University Health Centre serves a premoninantly student population and is located within Greater Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The practice has been operating from a purpose built building since 2005 and is located next to the University of Huddersfield’s main building. The reception and consulting rooms are on upper floors and can be accessed via a lift or a staircase. The practice provides services for 12740 patients of whom around 85% are students (37% of registered patients being international students). Due to the high student population the demographic profile of the practice is heavily weighted to reflect this age group with only 0.4% of the registered patients being aged 65+ years.

The practice is situated in the third most deprived decile in the locality. People living in more deprived areas tend to have greater need for health services.

The practice registers:

• University students, their partners, parents and children

• University staff, their partners, parents and children

• Members of the general public on application (although the practice generally restricts its list to those with a University connection, i.e. students and their families, staff and their families – if the list size is decreasing and there is capacity within the practice, members of the general public may ask to register). 

The practice provides services for patients under the terms of the Personal Medical Services (PMS) contract and is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to provide the following services; treatment of disease, disorder or injury, diagnostic and screening procedures, family planning, surgical procedures and maternity and midwifery services. In addition to this the practice offers a range of enhanced local services including those in relation to; alcohol support, childhood vaccination and immunisation, Rotavirus and Shingles immunisation, Influenza and Pneumococcal immunisation, extended hours, remote care monitoring and patient participation.

The practice operates a number of clinics for patients, these include; contraception and sexual health, minor injuries, phlebotomy, travel, weight reduction, asthma, diabetes, alcohol support and psychotherapy.

The practice has three GP partners (two male one female) and four salaried GPs (one male three female). In addition there are two female nurse practitioners, three female nurse prescibers/practice nurses and a female healthcare assistant in post as well as the services of a behavioural psychotherapist on a sessional basis. Clinical staff are supported by a practice manager and an administration and reception team. The practice offers both pre-bookable appointments available in advance and book on the day appointments. The appointments can be booked face to face, via telephone, on line or via the practice App.

The practice is open between 8.15am to 6pm Monday to Friday with extended opening from 6pm to 8.30pm on Thursday. (Note since the inspection was carried out extended hours have changed to Thursday 6.30pm to 8pm). 

Consulting times are;

Monday: 8.30am to 12 noon and 1pm to 5.30pm

Tuesday: 8.30am to 12 noon and 1pm to 5.30pm

Wednesday: 8.30am to 12 noon and 1pm to 5.30pm

Thursday: 8.30am to 12 noon and 1pm to 8.30pm

Friday: 8.30am to 12 noon and 1pm to 5.30pm

In addition duty GPs are available for contact by the practice Monday to Friday 8am to 8.15am and 6pm to 6.30pm.

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

Updated 4 February 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The University Health Centre on 12 November 2015. 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 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.
• Patients said they found it generally easy to make an appointment with a named GP. The practice was responsive to the needs of their population group by reserving numbers of appointments for booking on the day.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• The practice worked closely with the University of Huddersfield in promoting health and wellbeing, and proactively engaged with students at the beginning of their course of study.
• The practice had developed effective services in relation to sexual health and had shared this experience with other practices.
• 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.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

The practice was responsive to the needs of a significant group from within their patient population. The practice offered screening for latent tuberculosis to new student patients and their families who came from countries where the risk of TB is high ( Latent tuberculosis or Latent TB is when a person has TB bacteria in their body but there are no symptoms, so they will not feel unwell. You cannot pass latent TB on to others, but there is a risk that you will become ill with active TB later on, especially if your immune system is weakened) . New patients who met the screening criteria were targeted at registration and were encouraged to be tested. This targeted approach saw rates of testing from this specific population group rise from 40% prior to the introduction of this new approach to 90% in 2014-2015 when 1090 patients were screened out of a total of 1245 new patients who were identified as originating from high TB risk countries. Post screening the practice took time to explain results to patients and arrange any necessary follow on activity and treatment.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 4 February 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.

• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.

• All patients with a long term condition had a named GP and structured reviews were carried out to check that their health and medicines needs were being met.

• The practice took active health promotion steps raising awareness amongst the student population of a number of conditions including diabetes and asthma.

Updated 4 February 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.

• Patients and staff 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.

• Childhood immunisation and cervical screening uptake rates were comparable to other practices locally and nationally.

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

• The practice had developed an effective contraception and sexual health service which had 1350 first attendances and 373 follow ups between April 2014 and March 2015.

Updated 4 February 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people.

• Although the practice had a low overall population of older patients (only 20 patients registered were aged 70+ years old) we saw evidence that the practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of these older people within its patient population.

• It was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits, longer consultations and urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs.

• Meetings were held with the community matron to discuss the needs of patients.

Updated 4 February 2016

The practice is rated as outstanding 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. In particular as a practice supporting a university the practice tailored its services to the needs of both UK and international students. For example the practice made more appointments available on a book on the day basis as this was the preferred appointment system for this population group.

• The practice was proactive in offering online services as well as a full range of health promotion and screening that reflected the needs for this age group.

• Extended hours were available on Thursday evenings 6pm to 8.30pm and an on call GP was available for direct contact by the practice between 8am and 8.15am, and between 6pm and 6.30pm Monday to Friday. (Note since the inspection was carried out extended hours have changed to Thursday 6.30pm to 8pm).

• The practice had introduced an App which allowed service users to have improved access to, and communication with, the practice (an App is a piece of software or program which is downloaded by a user to a mobile device). From March 2015 to 11 November 2015 there were 2911 users registered and 3735 pageviews had been made.

• The practice had developed a successful and effective Latent TB screening service. This service is provided as part of new registration patient health checks, and is offered to patients from World Health Organisation identified high TB risk countries. Since moving to this system of working attendance rates at screening had risen from 40% to 90%, with 1090 being screened out of a possible 1245 identified patients between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015.

Updated 4 February 2016

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

• Patients with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses had had a comprehensive, agreed care plan documented in the record in the preceding 12 months.

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

• The practice worked closely with the University Wellbeing and Disability Services to promote mental health awareness and received referrals from the centre for students experiencing poor mental health.

• Staff had a good understanding of how to support people with mental health needs and dementia.

• The practice had a dedicated Carers Champion and staff were trained to be Dementia Friendly and were therefore better equipped to support the needs of carers and their patients with dementia.

Updated 4 February 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.

• It offered longer appointments for people with a learning disability.

• The practice 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 children, young people and adults whose circumstances may make the vulnerable. 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.