Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Northgate Medical Centre on 7th January 2016.
Overall the practice is rated as good.
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. Staff were aware of procedures for safeguarding patients from the risk of abuse.
- There were systems in place to reduce risks to patient safety, for example, infection control procedures and the management of staffing levels. However, improvements were needed to the record keeping relating to significant events and staff recruitment.
- Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance.
- Staff told us they had received training appropriate to their roles. Records of all staff training needed to be improved to assist in monitoring and planning for the training needs of staff.
- Patients were very positive about the care they received from the practice. They commented that they were treated with respect and dignity and that staff were caring, supportive and helpful.
- Services were planned and delivered to take into account the needs of different patient groups.
- Information about how to complain was available. There was a system in place to manage complaints.
- There were systems in place to monitor and improve quality and identify risk.
The areas where the provider should make improvements are:
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice