Keldregate Surgery Updates

Data analysis of the engagement questionnaires and the final engagement report is completed and has been shared with the CCG and Primary Care Commissioning Committee. The final report should be available for practice patients and stakeholders to view in the coming few months, and will be shared on the practice and CCG websites.

Temporary closure status has continued to be reviewed throughout the process and is next due for review on the 28th of February.

The practice is currently working with the CCG and NHS Property Services in securing new and fit for purpose premises in the Keldregate locality.

Health and Safety and Infection control surveys commissioned by the CCG confirmed the issues raised by the previous survey (see August 2019 Update). This included serious concerns about inadequate fire escape arrangements, which would need to be rectified before services can run from the site.

Patients were asked for their views on the temporary closure of the Keldregate branch surgery. A letter and questionnaire were sent to patients by post or via SMS link.

The aim of the engagement was to provide an insight into the impact of the temporary closure of the Keldregate branch site to inform the planning of future provision of GP services in the Deighton/Bradley area. For more information, see letter in section below.

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Please see below a letter from Dr Rajkumar, managing GP Partner at the Grange Medical Practice:

Dear Patient or Stakeholder of the Grange Medical Practice,

We would like to thank you for your ongoing patience throughout the coronavirus pandemic. This letter is about the practice’s branch surgery, known as the Keldregate branch which is located in Deighton, Huddersfield.  The Keldregate branch is currently closed temporarily. We’d like to know what you think about this, and how the temporary closure is affecting you.

Why has the Keldregate branch been temporarily closed?

• It is not possible to run services safely during the coronavirus pandemic for a number of reasons.
• The main reason is the small size of the entrance, waiting area and corridors which mean that social distancing is not possible at the Keldregate branch.

We need your views
The practice wants to ensure that views of patients and stakeholders are part of any further decisions about the future of the Keldregate branch and the Grange’s provision of services in the area.

You can share your views in the following ways:

• Complete the survey via this link: Grange Medical Practice Survey
• if you require a paper copy of the questionnaire, please email your request, name and address to grange.admin@nhs.net or phone the practice.
• Come to one of our online information sessions, where you can find out more, ask questions and raise any concerns that you may have (details to be released w/c 5th July).
• If you require this information in an easy-read or translated format, please contact the practice by email or by telephone to request this.
  
  The closing date to share your views is Friday the 13th of August 2021.

If you have any further questions, queries or concerns please call the practice on 01484 428282, or email us at grange.admin@nhs.net.

Yours sincerely,

Dr A Rajkumar

Managing GP Partner at the Grange Medical Practice

The CCG agreed to extend the temporary closure due to the continued coronavirus lockdown. 

The practice carried out an initial telephone survey of 20 households living in the Keldregate area, to find out how the temporary closure is affecting their access to services.

Action taken by the practice:

• Comments from patients were taken on board and any issues were resolved. 
  
• The practice introduced its eConsult service, allowing patients to access advice from their GP quickly and easily online.
  
• Electronic prescribing was increased to prevent patients needing to collect prescriptions from the practice (allowing them to collect from local pharmacies). 
  
• Access to online ordering via online services has been promoted.
  
• Restrictions preventing patients ordering over the phone have been relaxed during the pandemic for any patients unable to use online services.

The NHS Kirklees CCG acknowledged that it is not safe for the Keldregate branch to be open during the pandemic, and formally agreed to the temporary closure until February 2021 when circumstances will be reviewed.

Action taken by the practice:

• Extended access appointments were extended from 2 days per week to 4 days per week at the main site in order to further improve access to services. The Fartown site is now open 8am- 8pm Monday-Thursday, and 8am- 6:30pm on Fridays.

The practice invited the Huddersfield Care Commissioning Group (CCG) to look round to assess whether the branch surgery was safe to practice from during the pandemic.

The Keldregate branch surgery was identified as being clinically unsafe to operate from during the coronavirus pandemic.

Action taken by the practice:

• The practice closed the Keldregate branch surgery to protect staff and patients.
  
• The practice introduced its eConsult service, allowing patients to access advice from their GP quickly and easily online.
  
• Electronic prescribing was increased to prevent patients needing to collect prescriptions from the practice (allowing them to collect from local pharmacies).

Site survey independently reported the site not to be fit for purpose when assessed against NHS Primary care guidelines and Disability Discrimination Act accessibility standards.

The architects report found that the Keldregate premises were not fit for purpose for a number of reasons:

• The total size is only a third of the minimum size that is recommended for any GP surgery by NHS guidance.

• The clinic rooms also do not meet the minimum size requirements set by the guidance.

• The site is in a residential area with no dedicated parking, so all staff and patients must park in the surrounding streets.

• The building is at the top of a slope, and although steps and a ramp have been put in place, the gradient is much steeper than the acceptable standards set by building regulations for disabled access.

• The main (and only) entrance has a narrow inward opening door which is not wide enough to meet building regulations.

• All doors in the building do not meet width requirements for wheelchair access.

• The consultation room doors and internal walls fall far short of acoustic requirements, which present confidentiality concerns.

Action Taken by The Practice

• This was raised with the Huddersfield Care Commissioning Group (CCG)
• The practice minimised risk by reducing clinical services at the Keldregate site.
• Access to the Grange main site was improved by adding more extended hours clinics at weekends.

In August 2019, it was suggested by the Grange clinical team that the Keldregate branch site is not fit for purpose, due to accessibility issues.

Action taken by the practice:

• An independent site survey was commissioned to assess the branch surgery against NHS Primary care guidelines and Disability Discrimination Act accessibility standards.