Updated 9 February 2026
Date of Assessment: 16 April 2026 to 21 April 2026.
Askern Medical Practice is a GP practice in Doncaster. There is also a branch practice, Mexborough Medical Practice. Patients can attend either practice. 7,824 people receive a service under a contract held with NHS England.
The service was previously assessed in November 2024 and was rated as ‘Requires Improvement’. This assessment was in response to the findings from the previous assessment.
According to the latest available data, the ethnic make-up of the practice area is approximately 97% White, 1% Asian, 1% Mixed, 0.6% Black and 0.3% Other.
Information published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows deprivation within the practice population group is in the 2nd decile (2 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.
Safe
The service did not have a good learning culture and people could not easily raise concerns. Managers did not investigate incidents thoroughly. We found concerns with the way safeguarding was managed, the systems and processes in place to process information, recruitment arrangements and the supervision and training of staff.
Staff did not consistently demonstrate they understood and managed risks. However, the facilities and equipment met the needs of people, were clean and well-maintained and any risks mitigated. Staff managed medicines well and involved people in planning any changes, although some medicine processing issues were identified.
Effective
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. Staff worked with all agencies involved in people’s care for the best outcomes and smooth transitions when moving services. Staff made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent. Staff involved those important to people and took decisions in people’s best interests where they did not have capacity.
Caring
The service treated people as individuals and supported their preferences. They ensured people had choice in their care and treatment. Staff protected people’s privacy and dignity. However, despite overall positive findings, data indicated that people were not always treated with kindness and compassion, and staff wellbeing was not consistently supported.
Responsive
The service did not always make it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. We identified concerns with the way complaints were responded to. However, people were involved in decisions about their care. The service understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. The service provided information people could understand. Improvements relating to patients accessing the service were evident. We received positive feedback from the Patient Participation Group (PPG) regarding the significant improvement in access via the telephone. Leaders proactively sought ways to address any barriers to improving people’s experience and worked with local organisations, including within the voluntary sector, to address any local health inequalities. People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.
Well-led
The provider did not have established governance processes that were appropriate for their service. The provider could not demonstrate that all staff had completed mandatory training as identified by the service. The action plan submitted to CQC to address the concerns identified at the previous inspection had been addressed by the provider in some but not all areas. We also identified new areas of concern which demonstrated that effective learning and improvement were not consistently reflected across all areas of the service. While feedback from staff was positive, describing a culture of compassion, inclusiveness, and openness to raising concerns, this was not consistently reflected in the findings gathered during the assessment.
In instances where the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has begun a process of regulatory action, we may publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded if the action has been taken forward.
The service was in breach of legal regulations in relation to safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment, fit and proper persons employed and receiving and acting on complaints.