The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

The Ash Surgery

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

1 Ashfield Road, Liverpool, Merseyside, L17 0BY (0151) 727 1155

Provided and run by:
The Ash Surgery

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of Assessment: 27 May 2026. The Ash Surgery is a GP practice that delivers services to approximately 6,700 people under a contract held with NHS England. According to the latest available data, the ethnic make-up of the service area is approximately 87% White, 4% Asian, 4% Mixed, 1% Black and 1% Other. Information published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows deprivation within the service population group is in the 7th decile (7 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the service population is relative to others.

This was a focused assessment which we undertook 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.

The premises and facilities were clean and appropriately maintained. Staff kept facilities clean and maintained equipment appropriately to ensure people were kept safe. The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection and took steps to control the risk of it spreading. Some infection control risks were identified during the site visit for which the provider agreed to take action.

There was a good level of staffing with the right skills, qualifications and experience. 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. 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 the service and the wider community. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles and staff understood their individual roles and responsibilities. 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. Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and continuous improvement. Clear and effective processes were in place to govern the service and ensure high quality standards were met.

17 May 2017

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of The Ash Surgery on 15 April 2015. The overall rating for the practice was Good. However, the practice was rated as Requires Improvement for providing safe services. The full comprehensive report on the April 2015 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Ash Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was a desk-based review carried out on 17 May 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulation that we identified at our previous inspection on 15 April 2015. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • Action had been taken to ensure that a record of the required staff recruitment information was maintained.

  • Action had been taken to ensure that the premises and equipment were safely maintained.

In addition, the practice had made the following improvements:

  • A system had been put in place to record the receipt and allocation of prescription pads.

  • Improvements had been made to the records of staff training to assist with the monitoring of training needs.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

  • The practice should review the actions from the health and safety and fire audits on a three monthly basis to ensure these are fully completed. The fire audit should also include a check on furnishings to ensure compliance with fire safety regulations.

  • In house weekly checks of the fire alarm and monthly checks of emergency lighting should be consistently undertaken.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

15th April 2015

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

This is the report of findings from our inspection of The Ash Surgery.

We undertook a comprehensive inspection on 15th April 2015. We spoke with patients, staff and the practice management team.

Overall, the practice was rated as Good. A caring, effective, responsive and well- led service was provided that met the needs of the population it served. However, improvements were needed to demonstrate the practice was recruiting staff safely and maintaining the safety of the premises and equipment.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • There were systems in place to protect patients from avoidable harm, such as from the risks associated with medicines and infection control. However, improvements were needed to the recruitment of staff as the recruitment records did not demonstrate that all necessary checks were undertaken to demonstrate suitability for their roles. Improvements were also needed to the systems in place to ensure the premises and equipment were safe.
  • Patients care needs were assessed and care and treatment was being considered in line with best practice national guidelines. Staff were proactive in promoting good health and referrals were made to other agencies to ensure patients received the treatments they needed.
  • Feedback from patients showed they were very happy with the care given by all staff. They felt listened to, treated with dignity and respect and involved in decision making around their care and treatment.
  • The practice planned its services to meet the differing needs of patients. The practice encouraged patients to give their views about the services offered and made changes as a consequence.
  • Quality and performance were monitored, risks were identified and managed. Staff told us they could raise concerns, felt they were listened to, felt valued and well supported.

There were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements

Importantly, the provider must:

  • Take action to ensure its recruitment policy, procedures and arrangements are improved to ensure necessary employment checks are in place for all staff and the required information in respect of workers is held.
  • Protect patients against the risks associated with unsafe premises and equipment by ensuring that risk assessments are up to date and reviewed and that equipment is regularly checked to ensure it is operating safely.

The provider should:

  • Ensure the serial numbers of all prescription pads and the clinical staff they are issued to are recorded.
  • Improve the records of training to identify the training plans for individual staff and the training completed.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice