Highgate Group Practice

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

We looked for evidence that staff protected people from avoidable harm and made sure care was delivered from environments that were clean and well maintained.

At our last assessment, we rated this key question as good.At this assessment, the rating remains the same.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

We did not look at Learning culture during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

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.

We did not look at Safeguarding during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

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.

The practice detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.

The practice leased the premises, but responsible for the maintenance. We saw there were suitable maintenance contracts in place.

Staff and leaders completed health and safety risk assessments and undertook audits to ensure they had identified and addressed all risks. We viewed the practice’s fire safety and health and safety risk assessments and found that they had been undertaken in April 2025. The practice manager informed us that they were waiting for the most recent assessment report to be delivered. We undertook a check of 2 fire extinguishers at the practice and found that the last maintenance check of the extinguishers had been undertaken in April 2025. The practice manager informed us that a qualified engineer was scheduled to attend the practice to carry out maintenance for the extinguishers in June 2026.

The practice had up to date policies covering health, safety and welfare. We saw evidence of staff completing mandatory safety training appropriate to their roles and responsibilities.

The practice had a business continuity plan which was regularly reviewed, which outlined how the practice would continue to operate in the event of a disruption. A hard copy of the business continuity plan was kept off site.

The practice made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development. They worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs.

The practice employed a range of clinical and non-clinical roles, which included GPs, nurses, pharmacists, healthcare assistants, social prescribers and administrators. The practice also employed psychotherapists and a counsellor, who worked in specialist clinics run by the provider. Most staff had worked at the practice for several years, supporting workforce stability and continuity of care.

Leaders ensured staff were up to date with their training which the practice had deemed mandatory and operated within their agreed areas of competence. This was achieved through discussions, reviews and appraisals.

The practice followed safe recruitment procedures when employing staff, which were in line with national guidance. This included identity checks, a review of qualifications, obtaining references and a criminal records (DBS) check. New staff were subject to a probationary period, and we saw evidence that annual appraisals were carried out.

The practice assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly.

The practice had cleaning schedules available, which outlined how staff should clean the building and its equipment. The practice employed a third-party company to regularly clean the premises ng. The practice demonstrated how arrangements for cleaning were monitored. During our onsite visit, the premises and a sample of equipment reviewed was noted to be visibly clean.

The practice’s infection prevention and control lead conducted regular risk assessments and audits to ensure compliance and acted where necessary to mitigate any identified risks. We viewed the most recent internal infection and prevention control audit dated May 2026. The practice had identified some minor issues and were able to speak with the assessments team about the planned remedies for these issues. Staff had completed relevant training in infection prevention and control (appropriate to their role), and staff we spoke with were able to describe the procedures they followed to minimise the risk of infection occurring.

We did not look at Medicines optimisation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.