• Doctor
  • GP practice

Dam Head Medical Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

1020 Rochdale Road, Manchester, Lancashire, M9 7HD (0161) 720 9744

Provided and run by:
Dr Zahid Mehmood Chauhan

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of Assessment: 08 July 2026. Dam Head Medical Centre is a GP practice and delivers services to approximately 2,849 people under a contract held with NHS England. According to the latest available data, the ethnic make-up of the service area is approximately 66.6% White, 16.8% Black, 9.4% Asian, 4.7% Mixed and 2.5% Other.

This was a focused assessment. We undertook this assessment due to the length of time since our last assessment. We assessed 10 quality statements from across all 5 key questions. This assessment considered the demographics of the people using the service, the context the service was working within and how this impacted service delivery. Where relevant, further commentary is provided in the quality statements section of this report.

Staff kept facilities clean and maintained equipment appropriately to ensure people were kept safe. They assessed and managed the risk of infection well and took steps to control the risk of it spreading. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. Staff supported people to live healthier lives, monitoring their care and treatment to ensure they received positive and consistent outcomes. Staff treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion, and respected their privacy and dignity. People could access care, treatment and support when they needed it. Leaders and staff were alert to discrimination and inequality that could disadvantage groups of people who used the service and sought ways to address any barriers. The service had a clear vision and strategy, which considered the needs of the people who used their service and the wider community. Staff understood their individual roles and responsibilities. Leaders accounted for the actions, behaviours and performance of staff through clear and effective governance processes.
 

5 January 2017

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We undertook this focused inspection of Dam Head Medical Centre on 5 January 2017 for one area within the key question effective.

We found the practice to be good in providing effective services. Overall, the practice is rated as good.

The practice was previously inspected on 23 February 2016. The inspection was a comprehensive inspection under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. At that inspection, the practice was rated good overall. However, within the key question effective, overview management, monitoring and improving outcomes for people was identified as requires improvement, as the practice was not meeting the legislation at that time; Regulation 17 Health & Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Good Governance.

We found the following processes were not in place:

  • There was no formal system to ensure all patients clinical notes were updated regularly in a timely manner into the clinical computer system.
  • The coding within patients records needed to be accurate, up to date and the use of prevalence reporting was in line with guidance to ensure patients outcomes were appropriately reflected in prevalence data.

On this inspection we reviewed a range of documents which demonstrated they were now meeting the requirements of Regulation 17 Health & Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Good Governance.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

23 February 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dam Head Medical Centre on 23 February 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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.
  • Patients said they were treated with dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment. They felt everyone in the practice went above and beyond to provide a compassionate and caring service.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • Clinical audits had been carried out with evidence that audits were driving improvement but patient outcomes remained lower than national and CCG average for the locality.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
  • Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
  • The practice did not have an active patient participation group (PPG) but were trying to organise a virtual group in order to obtain patient feedback about any ways to improve the service.
  • The practice had facilities and was equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
  • The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.
  • Patients’ medical records were kept in both electronic and paper format with no formal processes to maintain consistency.

The areas where the provider must make improvement are:

  • Ensure coding within patients records is accurate, up to date and the use of prevalence reporting is in line with guidance to ensure patients outcomes are appropriately reflected in prevalence data.
  • Implement a formal system to ensure all patients clinical IT notes are updated regularly in a timely manner into the clinical IT system.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

  • Introduce a more up to date process for the distribution of medical alerts to clinical staff.
  • All practice policies in paper and electronic formats are up to date and identical.
  • Implement a Patient Participation Group (PPG) in order to identify and act on patients’ views about the service.
  • Check all electrical equipment is safe, for example extension leads.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice