The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

The Orchard Practice

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Dartford West Health Centre, Tower Road, Dartford, Kent, DA1 2HA (01322) 223960

Provided and run by:
The Wellcome Practice

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about The Orchard Practice on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.

This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.

If you have concerns about The Orchard Practice, you can give feedback on this service.

13 November 2019

During an annual regulatory review

We reviewed the information available to us about The Orchard Practice on 13 November 2019. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.

7 October 2014

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Orchard Practice on 7 October 2014. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing well-led, effective, caring, responsive and safe services. It was also good for providing services for older people, people with long-term conditions, families, children and young people, working age people (including those recently retired and students), people living in vulnerable circumstances and people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia).

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

  • Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed, with the exception of those relating to recruitment checks.
  • 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.
  • Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
  • 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.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

  • The practice had successfully helped 56 patients to stop smoking within a one year period.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly the provider should

  • Maintain staff records so that the correct information is recorded.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice