- GP practice
Rutherford Medical Centre
Assessment report published 30 July 2026
Contents
On this page
- Overview
- Learning culture
- Safe systems, pathways and transitions
- Safeguarding
- Involving people to manage risks
- Safe environments
- Safe and effective staffing
- Infection prevention and control
- Medicines optimisation
Safe
We looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm.We did not assess all quality statements within this key question, as no concerns were identified in these areas at the previous assessment where they were judged to be met.
At our last assessment, we rated this key question as requires improvement. At this assessment, the rating has changed to good.
This service scored 53 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.
Learning culture
We did not look at Learning culture during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.
Safe systems, pathways and transitions
We did not look at Safe systems, pathways and transitions during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.
Safeguarding
We did not look at Safeguarding during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.
Involving people to manage risks
We did not look at Involving people to manage risks during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.
Safe environments
We did not look at Safe environments during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.
Safe and effective staffing
We did not look at Safe and effective staffing during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.
Infection prevention and control
We did not look at Infection prevention and control during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.
Medicines optimisation
The service had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. They listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.
Staff involved people in reviews of their medicines and helped them understand how to manage their medicines safely. People knew what to do and who to contact if their condition did not improve or they experienced any unexpected symptoms. Staff received regular training, were competency assessed on medicines optimisation, and felt confident managing the storage, administration and recording of medicines. Staff managed prescription stationery appropriately and securely. Staff followed protocols to ensure they prescribed all medicines safely, and ensured people received all recommended medicines reviews and monitoring. Medicines were stored securely and at appropriate temperatures. Staff regularly checked stock levels and expiry dates for all medicines, including emergency medicines and vaccines. Waste medicines were recorded and disposed of appropriately including medicines returned by patients. Staff stored medical gases, such as oxygen, safely and completed the required safety risk assessments. The provider had effective systems to manage and respond to safety alerts and medicine recalls. Staff followed established processes to ensure people prescribed medicines with specific risks received recommended monitoring. Staff took steps to ensure they prescribed medicines appropriately to optimise care outcomes, including antibiotics. Prescribing data reviewed as part of our assessment confirmed this. There was a programme of regular clinical audits of prescribing that focused on improving care and treatment.