The Care Quality Commission
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  • GP practice

Archived: Dr Hegde & Partners

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

The Galleries Health Centre, Washington, Tyne and Wear, NE38 7NQ (0191) 416 1841

Provided and run by:
Dr Hegde & Partners

All Inspections

5 January 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Hegde and Partners on 5 January 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.
  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had 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 that 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. They were responsive to the needs of patients and had made reasonable adjustments to improve access to the service. For example, the practice had conducted an audit of their facilities and developed an action plan to ensure they were suitable and accessible for patients with dementia type conditions.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted upon.
  • The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

  • On the National GP Patient Survey, the practice consistently scored higher than the national and local averages for ease of access to the service. For example, 90.6% described their experience of making an appointment as good (compared to a CCG average 76.2% and a national average of 73.3%). 80.4% said they felt they do not normally have to wait too long to be seen (compared to a CCG average 65% and a national average of 57.7%).

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice