The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Lawson Road Surgery

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

The Health Centre, Lawson Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 4LE (01603) 427096

Provided and run by:
Lawson Road Surgery

All Inspections

22 November 2023

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Lawson Road Surgery on 22 November 2023. Overall, the practice is rated as Good.

Safe - Good

Effective - Good

Caring - Good

Responsive - Good

Well-led - Good

Following our previous inspection published on 5 November 2015, the practice was rated good overall and for all key questions.

The full reports for previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Lawson Road Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Why we carried out this inspection.

We carried out this comprehensive inspection in line with our inspection priorities and covered all key areas.

How we carried out the inspection

This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site.

This included

  • Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing.
  • Completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system (this was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements).
  • Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider.
  • Requesting evidence from the provider.
  • A short site visit.
  • Staff questionnaires.

Our findings

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 found that:

  • The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
  • Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
  • Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
  • Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
  • The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of person-centre care.

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

  • Improve and monitor the system used to be assured that water temperature checks are carried out safely.
  • Continue to monitor and reduce the backlog of medical records to be fully summarised.
  • Continue to monitor and encourage patients with a learning disability to attend their reviews, parents/guardians to bring children for their childhood immunisations and encourage patients to attend for their appointments for the national cervical screening programme.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

Chief Inspector of Health Care

23rd September 2015

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Lawson Road Surgery on 23rd September 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

  • Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.

  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.

  • Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance.

  • Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.

  • 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.

  • 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.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly the provider should :

  • Ensure the business continuity plan is up to date and reviewed regularly 

  • Ensure policies are reviewed and updated

  • Ensure staff training is completed within the time frames stated within practice policies

  • Ensure all health care assistants who administer influenza vaccinations have a documented competency assessment.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice