The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Westleigh Medical Practice

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

4-12 Westleigh Lane, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 5JE (01942) 483960

Provided and run by:
Westleigh Medical Practice

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of Assessment: 14 April 2026. Westleigh Medical Practice is a GP practice and delivers services to approximately 4425 people under a contract held with NHS England. In addition to the main site there was a branch site, Abram Surgery. According to the latest available data, the ethnic make-up of the service area is approximately 93.9% White, 2.0% Asian, 1.7% Mixed, 1.7% Black and 0.7% Other. Information published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows deprivation within the service population group is in the 2nd decile (2 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the service population is relative to others.

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.

11 May 2017

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Westleigh Medical Centre on 11 May 2017. 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 a system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
  • The practice had defined and embedded systems to minimise risks to patient safety.
  • Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • Results from the national GP patient survey showed patients were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
  • Patients we spoke with said they found it easy to make an appointment with a 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.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
  • The provider was aware of the requirements of the duty of candour. Examples we reviewed showed the practice complied with these requirements.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

  • The practice had implemented a system of daily informal meetings known as “huddles”. Huddles enabled the practice team to have frequent but short briefings so that they could stay informed, review work and make plans, and this ensured a consistent approach to communicating messages to staff. We observed this had a positive impact on team morale.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements:

Importantly the provider should:

  • Review the audit system so that the clinical audit cycle is completed for all audits.
  • Continue to monitor the practice system for identifying carers to increase the number recorded.
  • Introduce a system for monitoring and auditing cleaning schedules.
  • Consider that key members of staff keep a copy of the practice business continuity plan at home.
  • Review the information provided for patients in the waiting areas for relevance and whether up to date.
  • Introduce regular all staff meetings with a standing agenda that includes information about significant events and complaints.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGPChief Inspector of General Practice

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice