The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Hadlow Medical Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Old School, School Lane, Hadlow, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 0ET (01732) 667443

Provided and run by:
Hadlow Medical Centre

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

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

26 September 2019

During an annual regulatory review

We reviewed the information available to us about Hadlow Medical Centre on 26 September 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.

20 April 2017

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Hadlow Medical Centre on 26 May 2016. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. The practice was rated as requires improvement for providing safe, effective and well-led services and rated as good for providing caring and responsive services. The full comprehensive report on the June 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Hadlow Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused visit carried out on 20 April 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 26 May 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is now rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • The practice had systems and processes to assess and manage the risks of infection, including infection control audit and training, and the control of legionella.
  • The practice had effective systems and processes to ensure the safe management of medicines.
  • The practice had a programme of clinical audit and ensured that results of audits led to improvements for patients.
  • There was an induction programme for newly appointed staff and staff had received mandatory training, including safeguarding, appropriate to their roles.
  • There was an overarching governance framework which included regular audits, to monitor and improve quality and identify risk.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. However, there was no formal, documented business plan for the practice. The practice had identified a registered manager and were in the process of making applications through the CQC registration process.

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

The provider should:

  • Continue with their plans for refurbishment of the practice including upgrading the clinical hand wash basins to comply with Department of Health guidelines.
  • Consider developing a formal documented business plan for the practice.
  • Complete the CQC process to register a manager for the practice.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

26 May 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Hadlow Medical Centre on 26 May 2016. Overall the practice is rated as requires improvement.

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

  • There was an effective system for reporting and recording significant events. Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses.
  • Risks to patients were not always assessed and well managed. For example, those relating to the risks of infection prevention and control and the management of medicines.
  • Data showed patient outcomes were similar to the national average. However, although some audits had been carried out, we saw no evidence that audits were driving improvements to patient outcomes.
  • Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • The practice provided services to meet the needs of patients. For example, the practice held a monthly hearing aid clinic for patients to attend for routine maintenance of hearing aids. The practice had a protocol for identifying carers and had been proactive in identifying and providing support for patients who were also carers. The practice had set up a weekly counselling service with a local provider of counselling services after identifying a need among its patient population.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
  • Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP 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.
  • The practice had insufficient leadership capacity and limited formal governance arrangements.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

  • Ensure that all staff undertake mandatory training as appropriate to their role, including child safeguarding training for all clinical staff at the appropriate level and information governance and fire safety awareness training for all staff.
  • Ensure that identified infection control improvements are actioned to help ensure the mitigation of risk, particularly ensure hand-wash basins in clinical rooms comply with Department of Health guidance. Ensure that all clinical staff receive training in infection prevention and control. Carry out a Legionella risk assessment and embed the actions required to be taken, for example recording of water temperatures.
  • Ensure that medicines are managed safely, including the safe storage of vaccines, the signing of patient group directives (PGDs) by a GP, standard operating procedures being signed and dated by a GP as completed and as amended, ensuring second checks of dispensed medicines and sufficient dispensing staff.
  • ​Ensure there is a system of completed clinical audits to drive improvement at the practice.

In addition the provider should:

  • Review staffing levels in reception to ensure there are enough staff to meet patients needs.
  • Ensure there is sufficient leadership capacity to deliver all improvements.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice