Copsewood Medical Centre

Updated 25 May 2016

Copsewood Medical Centre is located in the Binley district of Coventry. The practice is run as a partnership and provides primary medical services to patients in a suburban area.

The practice was formed in the 1980s and is housed in a converted bungalow. This has recently been extended and improved. Building works were completed a few days before our inspection took place. There were 4,500 patients registered with the practice at the time of the inspection. The practice has a high number of elderly patients, this included a number who lived in local care homes and also a number of asylum seekers registered.

Copsewood Medical Centre has a General Medical Services (GMS) contract with NHS England. The PMS contract is the contract between general practices and NHS England for delivering primary care services to local communities. It is part of a local GP federation, a group of practices that work together to improve services and outcomes for patients.

The practice has two partner GPs and one salaried GP (all female), a trainee GP (male) and three part-time practice nurses. They are supported by a practice manager, a practice performance lead and administrative and reception staff. The practice also employed an apprentice who was training in NVQ Level 3 business administration.

The practice is open from 8.30am to 12.30pm and from 1pm to 6pm during the week. Appointments are available from 8.45am to 12pm and from 2.30pm to 6pm. A duty GP is also available between these times for emergencies. Extended hours appointments are not currently offered, but the practice planned to introduce these during 2016-2017 following the completion of building works to improve the practice. When the practice is closed, patients can access out of hours care through NHS 111. The practice has a recorded message on its telephone system to advise patients. This information is also available on the practice’s website and in the patient practice leaflet. The practice website also referred patients to use the local walk in centre when the practice was closed.

Home visits are available for patients who are unable to attend the practice for appointments. There is also an online service which allows patients to order repeat prescriptions and book new appointments without having to telephone the practice.

The practice recently became an approved training practice for doctors who wish to become GPs. A GP trainee is a qualified doctor who is training to become a GP through a period of working and training in a practice. Only approved training practices can employ GP trainees and the practice must have at least one approved GP trainer.

The practice treats patients of all ages and provides a range of medical services. This includes minor surgery and disease management such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease. Other appointments are available for maternity care, family planning and smoking cessation.

Updated 25 May 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Copsewood Medical Centre on 29 March 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led services.

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

• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. The building had recently been extended and improved at the time of our inspection.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. Staff turnover was very low and many members of staff had worked at the practice long-term. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

We saw the following area of outstanding practice:

• The practice promoted their support for carers proactively. This included: information stands at flu clinics to identify ‘hidden’ carers; the facilitation of a weekly drop-in carer advice clinic, implementing and maintaining a Carer’s Corner display board, the introduction of a ‘how to register with the practice’ as a carer page on the practice website; provided carer awareness training for staff andhealth checks for carers.

The area where the provider should make improvement is:

• Provide the Patient Participation Group (PPG) with clear guidance about their role.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 25 May 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 had undertaken additional training for this role. Patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority.

• Outcomes for patients with long term conditions were generally above average for the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

• 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 medicines needs were being met. 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 25 May 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.

• Patients 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.

• Outcomes for areas such as child vaccinations and cervical screening were above average for the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

• The practice had a policy providing same day appointments for children.

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

• We saw positive examples of joint working with midwives. The practice ran baby clinics and offered appointments with the midwife who visited the practice weekly.

• Family planning services were available.

Updated 25 May 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 and offered home visits for those unable to reach the practice.

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

• Nationally reported data showed that outcomes for patients were good for conditions commonly found in older people.

• Care plans were in place with the most vulnerable older patients and used with multi-disciplinary teams to reduce unplanned hospital admissions.

• The practice was part of the Care Home Enhanced Service Specification (CHESS). This reduced unplanned hospital admissions and provided additional support for older people who lived in care homes.

• Palliative care (end of life) patients were placed on the palliative care register and had their care needs reviewed every 6-8 weeks.

Updated 25 May 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.

• 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.

• Telephone consultations were available for patients who were unable to reach the practice during the day.

• Extended hours opening was planned to be introduced during 2016-2017.

Updated 25 May 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care 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 carried out advance care planning for patients with dementia.

• The practice had helped patients who experienced poor mental health about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.

• The practice had a system in place to follow up patients who had attended accident and emergency where they may have been experiencing poor mental health.

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

Updated 25 May 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 homeless people, asylum seekers and those with a learning disability.

• Patients who were asylum seekers had double length appointments and an interpreter booked.

• The practice offered longer appointments for patients with a learning disability.

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

• The practice informed 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.

• The practice identified and closely monitored vulnerable patients who frequently attended accident and emergency (A&E).

• The practice promoted their support for carers proactively. This included: information stands at flu clinics to identify ‘hidden’ carers; the facilitation of a weekly drop-in carer advice clinic, implementing and maintaining a Carer’s Corner display board, the introduction of a ‘how to register with the practice’ as a carer page on the practice website; provided carer awareness training for staff and health checks for carers.

• The practice worked with the locally based Heart of England Carers Trust to provide additional support for patients who were carers.