Updated 17 November 2025
Date of Assessment: 2 to 17 December 2025. Ariel Healthcare is a GP practice and delivers service to approximately 18,300 under a contract held with NHS England. The service has a main site at Summerfields Road and a branch site at St Mary’s Crescent. We visited both sites during this assessment.
This assessment was carried out following a change to the service’s registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in October 2025, due to a change in the main site’s address. The last assessment was conducted in December 2017 at the previous address.
The National General Practice Profiles states that that 96.8% are White, 1.3% are mixed, 0.7% are Asian, 0.6% are Black and 0.6% are of other ethnicities. Information published by Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that deprivation within the practice population group is in the 6th decile (6 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the practice population is relative to others. 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.
We assessed all quality statements across the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led key questions.
There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. Managers made sure staff received training and regular appraisals to maintain high-quality care. Staff managed medicines well and involved people in planning any changes. Staff understood and managed risks. People were protected and kept safe from abuse. The service assessed and managed the risk of infection and the premises were visibly clean. However, the service did not always listen to people’s concerns. The service did not always make sure there was continuity of clinical records when people moved between different services. The service did not always detect and control potential risks in the care environment.
People were involved in assessments of their needs. Staff reviewed assessments taking account of people’s communication, personal and health needs. Care was based on latest evidence and good practice. The service worked well across teams and services to support people. Staff made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent.
People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. People had choice in their care and treatment. The service supported staff wellbeing.
People were involved in decisions about their care. The service provided information people could understand. The service worked to eliminate discrimination. People received fair and equal care and treatment. People were involved in planning their care and understood options around choosing to withdraw or not receive care. The service worked on improving access to appointments. Although people had channels to raise concerns to the service, the service did not always respond to complaints effectively.
Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. Managers worked with the local community to deliver the best possible care. There was a culture of continuous improvement. However, systems of accountability and good governance were not always effective.
We found a breach of regulation in relation to good governance. We have asked the provider to provide an action plan in response to the concerns identified during this assessment.