The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Middleport Medical Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Newport Lane, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, ST6 3NP 0300 123 1131

Provided and run by:
GeneralMedicalServices Ltd

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

All Inspections

07 June 2023

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Middleport Health Centre between 2nd and 7th June 2023. Overall, the practice is rated as good.

Safe - Good

Effective - Good

Caring - Good

Responsive - Good

Well-led - Good

Following our previous inspection on 10 October 2017, 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 Middleport Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Why we carried out this inspection

We carried out this inspection in line with our inspection priorities.

How we carried out the inspection

Throughout the pandemic CQC has continued to regulate and respond to risk. However, considering the circumstances arising as a result of the pandemic, and in order to reduce risk, we have conducted our inspections differently.

This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site. This was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements.

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.

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:

  • Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
  • The practice had good links with community groups and worked in collaboration to promote local health promotion groups and signpost patients to appropriate services.
  • Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way by a variety of methods.
  • The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.

However:

  • The practice did not always ensure that patients with repeat medicines had received appropriate health checks.
  • The practice did not always ensure a consistent quality of read-coding on appropriate patient records.
  • The practice percentage of children aged five years who had received immunisation for measles, mumps and rubella was under the World Health Organisation target of 95%.

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

  • Ensure all patients receiving repeat medicines are offered appropriate, timely health checks.
  • Ensure that all staff are trained to appropriately read-code patient records, and that historic inaccuracies are rectified.
  • Strive to bring the percentage of children receiving immunisation for measles, mumps and rubella up to the national target of 95%

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 Health Care

26 September 2017

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Middleport Medical Centre on 26 September 2017. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Middleport Medical Centre was previously registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as a limited company with the provider, Network Healthcare Solutions. A change of provider took place in April 2016. The new provider is General Medical Services Limited. We carried out a comprehensive inspection of Middleport Medical Centre under the previous provider on 12 December 2014 and rated the practice as good. The report for the inspection carried out on 12 December 2014 can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Middleport Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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

  • There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
  • The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems to minimise risks to patient safety.

  • The practice had effectively worked with the pain management clinic to reduce and manage the high prescribing rate of two medicines that had the potential for misuse.

  • Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance and had been trained to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • The practice maintained appropriate standards of cleanliness and hygiene.
  • Appropriate recruitment checks had been undertaken prior to employment although satisfactory information about any physical or mental health conditions relevant to a person’s ability to carry out their role had not been obtained for all staff.
  • Results from the national GP patient survey published in July 2017 showed patients were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and the practice proactively acted on complaints posted on the national website, NHS Choices. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
  • Patients found it easy to make an appointment and 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 the management team.
  • The provider was aware of the requirements of the duty of candour. Examples we reviewed showed the practice complied with these requirements.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

  • The practice had effectively worked with the pain management clinic to reduce and manage the high prescribing rate of two medicines that had the potential for misuse.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

  • Prior to employment, obtain satisfactory information about any physical or mental health conditions relevant to a person’s ability to carry out their role.

  • Update the cold chain policy to provide clear guidance for staff on the safe transportation and administration of vaccines to patients living in care homes.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice