Healey Surgery rated as ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission

Healey Surgery on Whitworth Road, Rochdale, has been rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection in October 2015.

The inspection was an announced inspection of the service.

Inspectors found that 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.

The risk to patients were assessed and well managed, with the exception of those relating to recruitment checks. However, not all appropriate staff had undergone a check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Patients who spoke to inspectors said that they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and were involved in their care and decisions about treatment. Information available about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.

Patients also said that they found it difficult to contact the practice using the telephone system, however when they did get through they said they found it easy to make an appointment with a GP and that there was a continuity of care. Urgent appointment were available on the same day but not always with a named GP.

Inspectors also noted that 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 the management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

Despite their good rating, the CQC have stated that there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements. Importantly the provider must:

• Ensure recruitment arrangements include all necessary employment checks for all staff.
• Ensure staff have received full training appropriate to their role.
• Ensure there is a clear policy with regard to repeat prescribing and to operate within own repeat prescribing policy. 

Professor Steve Field, Chief Inspector of General Practice at the CQC, said: “After more than 2,000 inspections we now have the evidence that the vast majority of England's GP practices are providing a service which is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. We have also found so many practices going far beyond the call of duty to care for patients to provide an outstanding service to their patients.

"But, unfortunately, there are still areas of practice that are inadequate and unacceptable. Patients have a right to expect high quality care from every GP practice. Where improvement is required we expect the practice to take the necessary steps to address the issues and we will re-inspect at a later date to check that those improvements have been made.

"Practices rated Inadequate that are put into Special Measures are offered additional support by NHS England which is working with the RCGP to help the practice get back on track. We have already seen the benefits of this approach when we re-inspect.”