The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Highgate Group Practice

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

44 North Hill, Highgate, London, N6 4QA (020) 8340 6628

Provided and run by:
Highgate Group Practice

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about Highgate Group Practice 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 Highgate Group Practice, you can give feedback on this service.

02 Dec 2019

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out an inspection of this service following our annual review of the information available to us including information provided by the practice. Our review indicated that there may have been a significant change to the quality of care provided since the last inspection.

This inspection focused on the following key questions:

  • Effective
  • Well-led

Because of the assurance received from our review of information we carried forward the ratings for the following key questions:

  • Safe
  • Caring
  • Responsive

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.
  • The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.

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

  • Continue to work to improve uptake of its childhood immunisations programme for the benefit if this patient group.
  • Continue to work to improve uptake of its cervical screening, and other cancer screening, programmes for the benefit of those patient groups.
  • Continue to work to encourage patients with atrial fibrillation, whose recommended treatment includes anticoagulation therapy, to receive all recommended treatment.

We saw one area of outstanding Practice

  • Since 2013 the practice had developed and run a course entitled “Thinking Medicine”. This offered sixth form students in state schools the opportunity to learn more about the options for pursuing a medical career. It also offered insights into the process of applying to medical school and some potential career paths available.

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

28 April 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 28 April 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 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. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
  • Patients said they generally found it easy to make an appointment and the practice encouraged continuity of care. Urgent appointments were available the same day.
  • 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.

We noted an aspect of outstanding practice:

  • The provider operated a family clinic twice a month, which gave patients an opportunity to talk about family concerns, such as children’s behaviour and well-being, or difficulties arising when a family member had a physical or mental illness. The clinical group was comprised of a partner GP, an employed counsellor and two visiting family therapists. The practice was the only one in the local CCG that offered the service.

However there was an area of practice where the provider should make improvement:

  • Continue with efforts to identify patients’ carer status opportunistically, to increase the current comparatively low figure of 0.65% of patients on the practice list.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

19 February 2014

During a routine inspection

All the patients we spoke with were satisfied with their treatment. They stated that the service was 'very good' and that they got their 'appointment very quickly'. They told us they had to wait to see their doctors sometimes but this did not bother them because they felt doctors knew their treatment needs. Patients told us staff were 'polite and friendly' and that they were treated with respect and dignity.

We noted the practice had a policy on safeguarding and staff had appropriate levels of safeguarding training. Staff told us that they had followed the safeguarding procedure and reported an incident of concern. We saw that the practice had policies regarding recruitment, appraisals, and staff development. The provider also had a complaints policy but the patients we spoke with told us they had not seen information about it. However, they told us if they needed to complain they would find out information about the complaints procedure by asking staff or by looking at the provider's website.