The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Clarendon Lodge

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

16 Clarendon Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 5SS (01926) 331401

Provided and run by:
Clarendon Lodge

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about Clarendon Lodge 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 Clarendon Lodge, you can give feedback on this service.

20 August 2019

During an annual regulatory review

We reviewed the information available to us about Clarendon Lodge on 20 August 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.

08 November 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Clarendon Lodge Medical Practice on 8 November 2016. The overall rating for this practice is good.

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

  • The practice was aware of and provided services according to the needs of their patient population. Staff received regular training and skill updates to ensure they had the appropriate skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
  • Patients told us they were treated with dignity and respect and that they were fully involved in decisions about their care and treatment.
  • The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
  • There were processes and procedures to keep patients safe. These included a system for reporting and recording significant events, keeping these under review and sharing learning where this occurred.
  • The practice was aware of the requirements of the duty of candour and systems ensured compliance with this.
  • Regular meetings and discussions were held with staff and multi-disciplinary teams to ensure that patients received the best care and treatment in a coordinated way.
  • The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
  • Annual carers events were held at the practice providing opportunities for networking and support.
  • There was a clear leadership structure which encouraged a culture of openness and accountability. Staff told us they felt supported by management.
  • The practice had a clear vision which had quality and safety as its top priority. Planning was in place to demonstrate the intended development of the services provided by the practice.
  • The practice demonstrated a strong commitment in working with their Patient Participation Group (PPG) to improve services for patients. Suggestions for improvements and changes to the way it delivered services as a result of feedback from patients and from the PPG were evident. For example, changes to the telephone system were made to improve access to appointments.
  • The practice was an approved training practice for trainee GPs and had achieved the South Warwickshire GP Award for Excellence in Medical training for 2015/2016.
  • With the appointment of the practice community liaison nurse the practice had achieved consistently lower than local averages for emergency admissions for patients with various conditions including diabetes, cancer and care/nursing home patients.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and patients told us that they knew how to complain if they needed to.
  • There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels, with engagement in pilot opportunities.

We saw several areas of outstanding practice including:

  • The practice used innovative and proactive methods to improve patient outcomes and working with other local providers to share best practice. For example, the practice provided dedicated support to 11 local care and nursing homes. Daily contact by the practice employed community liaison nurse was provided to patients. They also provided education and support to care and nursing home staff to enable end of life care to achieve a dignified death for patients.
  • The practice achieved consistently lower than local averages for emergency admissions for patients with various conditions including diabetes, cancer and care home patients. For example, audits had been completed over a two year period which demonstrated a 54% reduction in emergency admissions by care/nursing home patients by November 2016. We were told that dedicated ward rounds and working with care/nursing home staff were seen as contributory factors for these results.
  • The PPG were very involved in the development of the practice website which they described as developed by patients for patients. Members of the PPG had spent time visiting care homes supported by the practice to gain views about the services they received from the practice. The PPG produced a newsletter in which they took the opportunity to share practice responses to patient surveys, including local and national survey results.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

21 May 2014

During a routine inspection

Clarendon Lodge Medical Practice provides primary medical services to people in North Leamington Spa and the surrounding areas. There is a branch at Bubbenhall Village Hall which is open on alternate Friday mornings.

At the time of this inspection there were around 12800 people registered with Clarendon Lodge Medical Practice. Consultations took place in the two surgeries but sometimes doctors visited patients at home. This depended on the circumstance of their illness. Access to a GP outside of surgery hours was arranged through the NHS 111 service.

We found that the practice was safe, effective, caring, well led, and responsive. The practice had adequate arrangements to provide health care services for the population served.

During this inspection we spoke with 15 patients. They were complementary about the care they had received and found the practice caring and friendly. They felt the service provided were somewhat restricted by space and the age of the practice building. The practice was working with partner agencies such as the NHS and the local authority to address this issue.

We found the health care team at Clarendon Lodge Medical Practice, approachable and helpful when they cared for their patients. There was a commitment to continuous learning, professional development and good communication. The practice had a management structure that ensured the smooth running of the services provided. In spite of the physical restraints they worked under the practice had made good use of available space to ensure safe and optimum patient care.