The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Hednesford Valley Health Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

41 Station Road, Hednesford, Cannock, Staffordshire, WS12 4DH (01543) 395655

Provided and run by:
Dr Manickam and Partners

Important: The provider of this service changed - see old profile

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about Hednesford Valley Health Centre 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 Hednesford Valley Health Centre, you can give feedback on this service.

12 October 2022

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Hednesford Valley Health Centre on 12 October 2022. Overall, the practice is rated as good.

Safe - good

Effective - good

Caring - good

Responsive - good

Well-led - good

Following our previous inspection on 20 May 2016, the practice was rated good overall and for all key questions.

The full reports for previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Hednesford Valley Health Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Why we carried out this inspection

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding to test the reliability of our new monitoring approach. We assessed all five key questions based on the data and intelligence we held about the practice.

How we carried out the inspection

This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site.

This included:

  • Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing.
  • Completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system (this was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements).
  • Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider.
  • Requesting evidence from the provider.
  • A short site visit.
  • Staff feedback questionnaires.

Our findings

We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:

  • what we found when we inspected
  • information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
  • information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

We found that:

  • The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
  • Patients received care and treatment that met their needs.
  • The practice had an effective system in place for managing significant events to improve the quality of patient care.
  • There were systems in place to monitor patients prescribed high-risk medicines and monitoring of patients with long-term conditions. However, these were not always effective.
  • The practice had reviewed its skillset to ensure a more resilient workforce and recruited additional clinicians to meet their increased patient list and improve access to care and treatment.
  • Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
  • A new phone system had been installed to improve patient access to care and treatment.
  • The practice had a well-established staff team. Staff felt valued, well supported and proud to work at the practice.
  • The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.

Whilst we found no breaches of regulations, the provider should:

  • Improve medicines reviews to ensure they are effective, consistent and appropriately coded.
  • Review and improve systems to ensure the effective monitoring of patients prescribed high-risk medicines and patients with long-term conditions.
  • Develop a programme of targeted quality improvement.
  • Continue to improve cervical cancer screening uptake and childhood immunisations for those aged five years.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

Chief Inspector of Hospitals and Interim Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services

20 May 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of Hednesford Valley Medical Centre on 15 April 2015. A breach of legal requirement was found and a requirement notice was served. After the comprehensive inspection the practice sent us an action plan to say what they would do to meet legal requirements in relation to:

  • Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Safe Care and Treatment
  • Regulation 19 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Fit and proper persons employed.

We undertook a focused inspection on 20 May 2016. We did not visit the practice but reviewed information sent to us by the provider. The inspection was to check that the practice had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Hednesford Valley Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • Disclosure and Barring Service checks had been obtained for staff who worked at the practice and acted as chaperones.
  • An infection control audit had been completed in October 2015.
  • The hepatitis B status of the practice nurse had been checked and they were receiving a course of hepatitis B vaccinations.
  • A copy of the legionella risk assessment undertaken on behalf of the landlord had been obtained. The risk assessment demonstrated that the routine systems were in place to manage the possible risk of the growth of legionella.

Overall the practice is rated as good and good in the safe domain. This recognises the improvements made to the quality of care provided by this service.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

15 April 2015

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Hednesford Valley Health Centre,

Dr. V. K. Singh and Partner on 15 April 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing effective, caring, responsive and well led services. It was also good for providing services for older people; people with long-term conditions; families, children and young people; working age people; people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable and people experiencing poor mental health. It required improvement for providing safe services.

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.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and managed, with the exception of those relating to recruitment checks and the risk of the spread of infection.
  • Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance.
  • 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 appointments 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 the management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

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

Importantly the provider must:

  • Ensure that appropriate staff have been subject to, or been risk assessed for the need to have a Disclosure and Barring Service check carried out.
  • Put systems in place for assessing the risk of, preventing, detecting and controlling the spread of infections, including those that are health care associated.

In addition the provider should:

  • Ensure that all significant events are formally recorded and analysed.
  • Establish systems and processes to support all staff in the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. This includes ensuring staff receive appropriate safeguarding training and introducing systems to support staff in safeguarding decisions
  • Ensure that GP prescription pads used for home visits are handled in accordance with national guidance to track them through the practice.
  • Ensure that all portable electrical equipment has been tested to ensure it is safe to use.
  • Ensure a system is in place to check the professional registration of the practice nurse is in date to ensure they are fit to practice.
  • Introduce a system for identifying, responding to, managing and reviewing risks to patients and the service.
  • Ensure that all staff receive fire training and practice regular fire drills.
  • Put a system in place to ensure that their policies and procedures are reviewed and updated in a timely manner.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice