- GP practice
The Northolme Practice
Assessment report published 15 May 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 8 April 2026. The Northolme Practice is a GP service which operates from 4 Roydlands Street, Hipperholme, Halifax, HX3 8AP, and delivers services to approximately 16,500 people under a contract managed by NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board. The service also operates a branch site, Northowram Surgery, located at Northowram Green, Northowram, Halifax, HX3 7JE which is around 2 miles from the main practice. According to the latest available data, the ethnic make-up of the service area is approximately 95% White, 2% Asian, 2% Mixed, 0.5% Black and 0.5% Other. Information published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows deprivation within the service population group is in the 9th decile (9 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 managed the risk of infection. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. However, we found that some health and safety checks and assessments were not up to date, and that there was only limited organisational assurance regarding staff vaccination and immunisation status. 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. We saw that demands on capacity were being effectively managed. 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. Whilst governance processes were generally in place and well embedded, we identified concerns regarding the oversight of key work areas such as the CQC registration status of the organisation, health and safety management, and staff vaccinations and immunisation status.
People's experience of this service
As part of our assessment, we reviewed feedback from people who used the service to understand their views and experience of the service. This included speaking with people using the service at the time of our assessment, and reviewing other feedback available to us. People were positive about the quality of their care and treatment. They felt staff treated them with kindness and compassion and respected their privacy. This was mirrored in the results of recent surveys, including the 2025 National GP Patient Survey, which showed most people were satisfied. As examples, 82% of patients who responded described their overall experience of this GP practice as good. This compared favourably to a local average of 77% and a national average of 75%. Results from the February 2026 NHS Friends and Family Test showed that of 530 responses, 505 (95%) rated their experience as good or very good. As part of our assessment, we contacted a care home supported by the service. They reported that the service met the needs of their residents and was responsive to requests for support. There was an active patient participation group (PPG) who represented the views of people using the service. We spoke with a member of the PPG who described how they felt listened to, and said the practice was responsive to feedback.