Northgate Health Centre

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

We looked for evidence that staff involved people in decisions about their care and treatment and provided them advice and support. Staff regularly reviewed people’s care and worked with other services to achieve this.

This is the first inspection for this service since its registration with CQC. This key question has been rated as good.

Patients received care that met national clinical standards. People’s individual needs were considered and used in the planning of their care. Consent was sought prior to receiving care. Quality assurance processes identified areas for improvement in care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The service made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

Clinical assessment templates were used to plan people’s care needs. Reception staff had training and guidance to identify high risk symptoms. Patients with complex and extensive health conditions were discussed at multi-disciplinary meetings to ensure their needs were being considered.

The service planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards.

Systems were in place to ensure staff were up to date with evidence-based guidance and legislation. Clinical records we saw demonstrated care was provided in line with current guidance.

The service worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services.

There were deputy roles in administration and clinical roles to ensure action was taken when needed.

Staff had access to the information they needed to appropriately assess, plan, and deliver people’s care and treatment. The practice worked with other services to ensure continuity of care, including where clinical tasks were delegated to other services.

The service supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. The service supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

Social prescribing was available to signpost people to community or support organisations which may benefit them. A care coordinator role facilitated social prescribing.

Staff supported national priorities and initiatives to improve population health, including stopping smoking and tackling obesity.

The service routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves. There was a programme of quality improvement in the form of extensive clinical audit.

National screening programmes were monitored and the practice was aware that uptake of cervical screening was below national targets. Immunisations were provided to children and a system of communication to parents and guardians was in place to encourage child immunisation. Uptake was slightly lower than the national average in 1 of the 5 child immunisation targets, and the other 4 were achieved. Partners explained the reason for low uptake in cancer screening was the transience of the local community alongside patients having screening abroad or at private clinics. There were communication projects to encourage patients to participate in NHS screening including working with local agencies.

The service told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

Staff understood relevant legislation relating to consent including when people potentially lacked capacity to consent and rights of patients under 16 years of age.