The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

St Johns Wood Medical Practice

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth, Brampton House, 60 Grove End Road, St John's Wood, London, NW8 9NH (020) 3657 9449

Provided and run by:
St Johns Wood Medical 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 St Johns Wood Medical 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 St Johns Wood Medical Practice, you can give feedback on this service.

15 October 2019

During an annual regulatory review

We reviewed the information available to us about St Johns Wood Medical Practice on 15 October 2019. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.

3 August 2017

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at St Johns Wood Medical Practice on 25 November 2014. The overall rating for the practice was good, however the rating for providing safe services was requires improvement. The full comprehensive report on the November 2014 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for St Johns Wood Medical Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was undertaken to check the provider had taken the action we said they must and should take and was an announced comprehensive inspection on 3 August 2017. Overall the practice is still rated as good and the rating for providing safe services has improved from requires improvement to good.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • There was an open and transparent approach to safety and a system in place for reporting and recording significant events. The practice had taken the action we said it should take at our November 2014 inspection to record in the minutes of governance meetings evidence of discussion of and the communication of lessons learned from, significant events and complaints.
  • The practice now had clearly defined and embedded systems to minimise risks to patient safety. It had taken the action we said it should take at our November 2014 inspection in relation to medicines management. However, we identified some shortcomings in the arrangements for vaccine stock management and prescription security.
  • Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment. The practice had taken the action we said it must take at our November 2014 inspection to address gaps in training and appraisal and ensure staff training records were fully completed.
  • Results from the national GP patient survey showed patients were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
  • Patients we spoke with said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
  • The practice had adequate facilities and equipment 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 the requirements of the duty of candour. Examples we reviewed showed the practice complied with these requirements.
  • Appropriate governance arrangements were in place and the practice had taken the action we said it should take at our November 2014 inspection to review all practice policies and procedures, including the practice’s business continuity plan, to ensure they remain up to date and relevant.

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

The provider should:

  • Ensure a record is kept of serial numbers of batch numbers of prescriptions, to secure full monitoring of their use; and ensure prescriptions left in printers are appropriately secured.
  • Raise staff awareness of the practice’s infection control policy.
  • Continue with efforts to improve uptake of childhood immunisations in relation to national targets.
  • Improve staff understanding of practice values and ensure consistency in the documentation of the mission statement.
  • Consider how best to ensure staff were aware of and understood updated practice policies.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

25 November 2014

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at St Johns Wood Medical Practice on 2 5 November 2014 . Overall the practice is rated as Good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing, effective, caring, responsive and well-led services. It was also good for providing services to the six population groups we looked at: older people; people with long-term conditions; families, children and young people; working age people (including those recently retired and students); people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable; and people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia);

We found the practice requires Improvement for providing safe services. 

Our key findings were as follows:

  • The practice worked in collaboration with other health and social care professionals to support patients’ needs and provided a multidisciplinary approach to their care and treatment.
  • The practice promoted good health and prevention and provided patients with suitable advice and guidance.
  • The practice provided a caring service. Patients indicated that staff were caring and treated them with dignity and respect. Patients were involved in decisions about their care.
  • The practice provided appropriate support for end of life care and patients and their carers received good emotional support.
  • The practice understood the needs of its patients and was responsive to these. It recognised the needs of different groups in the planning of its services.
  • The practice learned from patient experiences, concerns and complaints to improve the quality of care

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

Importantly, the provider must:

  • Ensure recruitment and training records are fully completed to ensure patients are fully protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care and treatment by the accurate maintenance of records about staff employed to carry out the regulated activities.

In addition the provider should:   

  • Record in the minutes of governance meetings evidence of discussion of and the communication of lessons learned from, significant events and complaints.
  • Arrange for all staff to receive formal training in safeguarding of vulnerable adults and ensure the child protection training planned for administrative staff not currently trained is completed.
  • Ensure the assurances provided to the local PHE/NHS England immunisations coordinator are adhered to and the policy for ensuring medicines were kept at the required temperatures is followed at all times.
  • Monitor the updated automatic protocol for the management of patients who have been prescribed high risk medicines to ensure the records of reviews and action taken were fully completed.
  • Review the practice’s consent policy to ensure mental capacity was appropriately taken into account and take steps to raise staff awareness of how the policy applied to children aged under 16 who have the legal capacity to consent.
  • Communicate the practice’s chaperone policy more clearly to patients in clinical areas.
  • Ensure in the staff appraisal process, learning and professional development needs were clearly linked to the appraisal review in all cases.
  • Systematically review all practice policies and procedures, including the practice’s business continuity plan, to ensure they remain up to date and relevant.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice