The Care Quality Commission
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Archived: North Hill Medical Group

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

18 North Hill, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1DZ (01206) 578070

Provided and run by:
North Hill Medical Group

All Inspections

10 January 2017

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at North Hill Medical Group on 10 January 2017. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

  • Staff members knew how to raise concerns, and report safety incidents. Safety information was appropriately recorded and lessons learned were identified. However we found the lessons learned from incidents relevant to all staff members were not shared with the administrative staff members.

  • The Infection control policy and had not been recently updated or the audits analysed to monitor issues arising. Within 48 hours of the inspection we received an updated version of the policy.

  • Risks to patients and staff members were assessed, documented and acted on appropriately.

  • Staff assessed patients’ treatment and care needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance.
  • Staff had 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 were able to make an appointment with a named GP and 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 patient participation Group (PPG) proactively sought feedback from patients, which was acted on.
  • The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

  • Lessons learned from incidents should be shared with administrative staff members to ensure learning at all levels within the practice.

  • The Infection control policy should be maintained with current local contacts and regularly reviewed. The Infection control audits undertaken to monitor patient safety should be reviewed and analysed to monitor issues arising.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

7 August 2013

During a routine inspection

We found the service to be courteous and welcoming to people during our inspection on 07 August 2013. There was a selection of information in the waiting rooms for the benefit of the patients. The information included notices about the North Hill Medical Group services, health promotion, safeguarding and other support services.

We received positive comments from six people on the day of inspection. One person told us: "This is a really good GP practice, I can always get an appointment and they don't ask why I want it."

We saw that staff spoke politely to people and consultations were carried out in private treatment rooms.

The doctors we spoke with told us they involved people in their care. One told us: "We listen to people and don't interrupt them; we ask them questions only once we've heard what people have to tell us.'

The North Hill Medical Group did not have appropriate arrangements in place to protect people against the risks associated with dispensing and handling medicines.

We spoke to four members of staff about the support they received and saw records of appraisals, regular training, and development.

We saw that the North Hill Medical Group had a records storage system and people's records were stored appropriately and securely.