The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Chelford Surgery

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Elmstead Road, Chelford, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9BS (01625) 861316

Provided and run by:
Chelford Surgery

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

This assessment was carried out on 3 and 7 March 2025. Chelford Surgery is a GP practice which provides a range of primary medical services from its location Chelford Surgery, Elmstead Road, Chelmsford, Macclesfield, SK11 9BS. The practice delivers services to approximately 4,600 patients under a contract held with NHS England. The provider is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide the following regulated activities: diagnostic and screening procedures, maternity and midwifery services, family planning, surgical procedures and treatment of disease, disorder or injury. The practice provided a medicines dispensary and a medicines specialist assessed this aspect of the service. A GP specialist advisor was also on the inspection team and they assessed the clinical care and treatment provided for a sample of patients.

We assessed all five key questions to establish if the services provided were safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. We rated the caring key question as outstanding and the remaining key questions as good and the service is rated good overall.

The National General Practice Profiles state that the practice has a higher than average older patient population. Information published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that deprivation within the practice population group is in the 9th decile (9 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the practice population is relative to others.

The service had a good learning culture. The premises were clean and well-maintained, and risks had been assessed and mitigated. There were sufficient numbers of staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. Staff managed medicines well in relation to prescribing and dispensing. Care and treatment was provided in line with best practice guidance. People who used the service were treated with kindness and compassion and staff protected their privacy and dignity. Patient feedback was very positive in all aspects of the service. Patients described an ‘excellent’, ‘caring’ and ‘receptive’ service and this was supported by the feedback provided by members of the Patient Participation Group (PPG). The system for booking appointments was very responsive to people’s needs and patient satisfaction with being able to readily access the service was very high. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and continuous improvement.

31 May 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Chelford Surgery on 31 May 2016. 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 an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed although the storage of oxygen cylinders was considered to be a risk.
  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • Patients said they were treated with compassion, 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.
  • Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
  • The practice worked well with its Patient Representative Group to better understand the needs of its patients
  • 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.
  • The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

  • Review, and describe more clearly, the system in place to make sure all drugs taken on home visits are in date.

  • Arrange for the safe storage (prevent them falling) of oxygen cylinders in the dispensary and for records to be kept of those cylinders being checked along with the defibrillator.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

24 September 2013

During a routine inspection

We spoke to three patients who all told us that they were happy with the care that they received from the Chelford Surgery. One person said; "I rang for an appointment this morning and got one straight away." Another person said; "The doctors are very kind. They always listen to me."

We spoke to two doctors, the practice manager, a practice nurse and a practice health care assistant about the safeguarding procedures and policies in place at the practice. All the staff had received training in safeguarding and were able to describe the action they would take if they had any concerns about a patient.

We looked around the building and found it to be suitable for use. It was clean and well maintained. We looked at the maintenance records for the building and saw that regular checks were made to ensure that safety and security was maintained.

We looked at the procedures for recruitment of new staff and we saw that all the appropriate checks were made to ensure that staff were suitable to work at the practice.