Lawson Street Health Centre

Our rating of this location stayed the same. We rated it as good because:

• The service was clean and well maintained. Staff followed infection prevention procedures to keep patients safe. Staff assessed and managed risk well and followed good practice with respect to safeguarding. Staff ensured that clients who required urgent care were seen promptly.
• Staff followed best practice and national guidance. Staff were experienced, qualified and had the right skills and knowledge to meet the needs of patients.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and took account of their individual needs. Staff took time to interact with patients and those close to them in a respectful and considerate way. The service received consistently positive feedback from patients.
• The teams had access to the full range of specialists required to meet the needs of the clients. Managers ensured that these staff received training, supervision and appraisal. The service was locally well led, with a positive staff culture.
• Staff had good links with GP’s, social care, police, sexual assault referral centre and attended multi agency meeting and child sexual exploitation meetings.
• There was effective engagement with hard to reach groups and young people, through subcontracting arrangements with specialist providers’

However:

• Workloads for administrative and clinical staff were high and had been for some time due to COVID-19. As a result, the coil fitting wait list for patients was at 12 weeks.
• There were some gaps in relation to clinical leadership input to corporate governance and strategic planning.
• The service had not managed to report accurate data to provide meaningful results to measure all performance.
• Not all staff had up to date job descriptions.
• The emergency trolley in Stockton was not easily accessible.
• Recent Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare Guidance for 12 months contraception pill to be prescribed in safe circumstances had not been followed.
• The Provider had not had reasonable engagement with staff of its change of ownership.