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Archived: Priory Road Medical Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Priory Road, Park South, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN3 2EZ (01793) 688744

Provided and run by:
Priory Road Medical Centre

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

20 March 2020

During an annual regulatory review

We reviewed the information available to us about Priory Road Medical Centre on 20 March 2020. 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.

8 June to 8 June

During a routine inspection

This practice is rated as Good overall. (Previous inspection 14 October 2014 – 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

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Priory Road Medical Centre on 8 June 2018, 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.
  • Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
  • Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they were able to access care when they needed it.
  • There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.
  • The practice developed a protocol for dealing with male hypogonadism and testosterone replacement, that was consistent with the British Endocrine Society.
  • There was a proactive approach to understanding the needs of different groups of people and to deliver care in a way that met these needs and promoted equality.
  • Priory Road Medical Centre identified patients at risk of developing diabetes who were not on the diabetes register, and implemented changes that could help to prevent the progression of this health condition.
  • Patients were offered a range of services to help them improve and manage their health condition. These included a test to determine how well their lungs were performing, and retinal and blood glucose screening.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

  • The provider should continue to make efforts to increase the programme coverage of women eligible to be screened for cervical cancer.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGPChief Inspector of General Practice

14 October 2014

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

Priory Road Medical Centre is a suburban practice providing primary care services to patients resident in Swindon. The practice has a patient population of approximately 8,400.

We undertook a comprehensive announced inspection on 14 October 2014. Our inspection team was led by a Care Quality Commission (CQC) Lead Inspector, an additional CQC inspector and a GP specialist advisor.

Before visiting, we reviewed a range of information we held about the practice and asked other organisations to share what they knew. This included the Swindon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), NHS England and Healthwatch Swindon.

The overall rating for Priory Road Medical Centre is good. Our key findings were as follows:

  • Patients were able to get an appointment when they needed it.
  • Staff were caring and treated patients with kindness and respect.
  • Staff explained and involved patients in treatment decisions
  • Patients were cared for in an environment which was clean and reflected good infection control practices.
  • Patients were protected from the risks of unsafe medicine management procedures.
  • The practice had the appropriate equipment, medicines and procedures to manage foreseeable patient emergencies.
  • The practice met nationally recognised quality standards for improving patient care and maintaining quality.
  • The practice had systems to identify, monitor and evaluate risks to patients.
  • Patients were treated by suitably qualified staff.
  • GPs and nursing staff followed national guidance in the care and treatment provided.

We saw several areas of outstanding practice including:

  • Priory Road Medical Centre demonstrated outstanding practice by participating in national research programmes through Primary Care Research Network.
  • The practice also participated in pilot schemes which promoted self care for good health and well being such as the community navigator scheme and the telehealth systems.
  • Priory Road Medical Centre was a local provider of diabetes education through the Diabetes Education and Self-Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed (DESMOND) programme created for patients with Type 2 diabetes.
  • The practice held a ‘Carer’s cuppa & drop in clinic' to support local carers and help them access additional support services.

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

The provider should:

  • Undertake a risk assessment to identify the optimum place for the emergency equipment to be sited to make it accessible for the staff.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice