West Bromwich Partnerships for Health

Updated 18 December 2017

West Bromwich Partnerships for Health is located on Izons Road, West Bromwich, Sandwell, Birmingham. It is located in a purpose built building with consulting rooms on the ground floor. There is easy access to the building and disabled facilities are provided. There is car parking on site for patients and staff. The practice holds a General Medical Services (GMS) contract to deliver General Medical Services to the local community or communities. The practice is part of the NHS Sandwell and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). A CCG is an organisation that brings together local GPs and experienced health professionals to take on commissioning responsibilities for local health services.

The surgery served a population of approximately 3800 patients. On the day we spoke with two of the partners who told us that although the registration with CQC did not reflect this, they also own two other nearby practices with two further branch sites. They told us that these practices regularly collaborate and share resources where possible.

There was a full time salaried GP (male) and a regular locum GP (male) who worked two to three sessions a week. There was also an advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) working one session a week and a practice nurse working four sessions a week. There was also a team of administration staff and a practice manager responsible for the day to day running of the practice.

The practice had achieved training practice status helpingqualified doctors to complete the final stages of their GP Training. The practice also engaged in the training of undergraduate medical students. The salaried GP is the approved trainer and currently there are two GP registrars based at the practice.

The practice is in an area with a high ethnic population. Many of the practice population are from South Asia and Eastern Europe and have health needs that reflect that community, for example, a high rate of diabetes. It is a deprived area with a high rate of unemployment. The practice has a higher than the national average patients aged between 25 and 50 years old, particularly male patients. The practice has a population of 50 to 85 year olds which is lower than the national average.

The practice phone lines opened from 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday (except Thursdays) and appointments were available from 8.30am (when the doors opened) until 6pm Monday to Friday. The practice is closed on a Thursday at 12.30pm and the services phone is diverted to one of the sister practices where appointments are available with other GPs.

The practice has opted out of providing out-of-hours services to their own patients. This is provided by an external out of hours service contracted by the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Updated 18 December 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

This practice is rated as Good overall. (The practice was previously inspected in March 2015 and rated Good)

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? - Good

As part of our inspection process, we also look at the quality of care for specific population groups. The population groups are rated as:

Older People – Good

People with long-term conditions – Good

Families, children and young people – Good

Working age people (including those recently retired and students – Good

People whose circumstances may make them vulnerable – Good

People experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia) - Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive at West Bromwich Partnerships for Health on 15 November 2017. We inspected this location as part of our inspection programme.

At this inspection we found:

• The practice had clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the practice learned from them and improved their processes.
• The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
• The lead GP engaged with the local community by attending places of worship to encourage uptake of reviews for long term conditions and screening.
• Results from the national GP patient survey showed patients felt they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect.
• Patients we spoke with said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• The practice was able to demonstrate a governance framework which supported the delivery of the strategy and good quality care.
• There was evidence that the practice had sought feedback and implemented changes to improve.
• The practice was aware of the requirements of the duty of candour. Examples we reviewed showed the practice complied with these requirements.
• There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation. The practice had achieved training status and there were two associate GP trainers working at the practice.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Continue to engage with patient groups to improve uptake of cervical cytology.
• Achieve improvement in the number of carers identified in order to offer them support.
• Carry out learning disability reviews for all patients on the register

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 18 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. Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed. Practice staff held a register of patients who had long term conditions and carried out regular reviews. There was a recall system in place when patients failed to attend for their reviews. For patients with the most complex needs, GPs worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care.

Updated 18 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 A&E attendances. Practice staff liaised with local health visitors to offer a full health surveillance programme for children. Checks were also made to ensure maximum uptake of childhood immunisations. The practice nurse offered immunisations to children in line with the national immunisation programme.

Updated 18 June 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people. The practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of its population. Patients at risk of an unplanned hospital admission had a care plan in place, which was regularly reviewed and updated. Housebound patients were routinely visited so they could be given information and advice to prevent hospital admissions. The wishes of patients requiring end of life care were met; this included care being provided in the patient’s home by the GP and multi-disciplinary team. Telephone consultations were available so patients could call and speak with a GP if they did not wish to or were unable to attend the practice.

Updated 18 June 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of working-age people (including those recently retired and students). The practice offered patients in this group open access or specific appointment times which were accessible, flexible and offered continuity of care. Telephone appointments, online booking of appointments and ordering prescriptions were available to meet the needs of those patients who worked. The practice was proactive in offering a full range of health promotion and screening that reflected the needs of this age group. This included health checks for patients aged 40 - 70 years of age.

Updated 18 June 2015

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 patients experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia. The practice had a system in place to follow up patients who had attended accident and emergency (A&E) where they may have been experiencing poor mental health. Annual health checks were offered to patients with long term mental health conditions. GPs had the necessary skills and information to assess and treat or refer patients with poor mental health.

Updated 18 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 those with a learning disability. It had carried out annual health checks for patients with a learning disability and most of these patients had received a follow-up where issues were identified. The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people. GPs carried out regular home visits to patients who were housebound and to other patients on the day they had been requested.