The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Barton Hills Medical Group

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Whitehorse Vale, Barton Hills, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU3 4AD (01582) 490087

Provided and run by:
Barton Hills Medical Group

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about Barton Hills Medical Group on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.

This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.

If you have concerns about Barton Hills Medical Group, you can give feedback on this service.

14 November 2019

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Barton Hills Medical Group on 14 November 2019 as part of our inspection programme.

We decided to undertake an inspection of this service following our annual review of the information available to us. This inspection looked at the following key questions:

  • Effective
  • Well-led

We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:

  • what we found when we inspected
  • information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
  • information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

We have rated this practice as good overall and good for all population groups.

We found that:

  • Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs. Treatment templates were used to ensure current guidance was followed.
  • A register was kept of patients in need of end of life care. A review of the register showed that some of the patients were not at the end of life stage of their illness.
  • Data showed the practice was performing comparably with others both locally and nationally. Exception reporting was high for one area of the Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF).
  • The uptake for cervical screening was below the national target of 80%
  • The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.
  • The practice was aware of the challenges it faced and had business plans in place to address these.
  • Staff were well supported and were positive about working in the practice.
  • The process for managing safety alerts was not formalised. This was immediately rectified at the time of the inspection.

Whilst we found no breaches of regulations, the provider should:

  • Continue to encourage the uptake of cervical screening for eligible women.
  • Review the register of patients in need of end of life care to ensure it was appropriate.
  • Review exception reporting processes so patients receive appropriate reviews and monitoring.
  • Review the process put in place to manage safety alerts to ensure it is embedded and appropriate actions taken.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care

15 December 2014

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Barton Hills Medical Group on 15 December 2014. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing well-led, effective, caring and responsive services. It was also good for providing services for older people, people with long term conditions, mothers and young people and children, those patients whose circumstances make them vulnerable and those suffering with mental health problems.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

  • Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed, with the exception of those relating to recruitment checks for staff who act as a chaperone.
  • Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
  • Patients said they were treated with dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
  • 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 proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

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

Importantly the provider should:

  • Replace the chair used for phlebotomy or ensure that the ripped arms are replaced.
  • Ensure that all reception staff have DBS checks if the GP partners decide they are to undertake chaperone duties.
  • Undertake a formal risk assessment of long serving reception staff who have not had DBS checks.
  • Introduce a system or process to ensure the secure storage of clinical waste and cleaning substances.
  • Carry out a new legionella risk assessment.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice