The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Lower Gornal Medical Practice

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Bull Street,, Lower Gornal,, Dudley, West Midlands, DY3 2NQ (01384) 322422

Provided and run by:
Lower Gornal 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 Lower Gornal 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 Lower Gornal Medical Practice, you can give feedback on this service.

31 October 2019

During an annual regulatory review

We reviewed the information available to us about Lower Gornal Medical Practice on 31 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.

21 December 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection visit of Lower Gornal Medical Practice, in March 2016. As a result of our comprehensive inspection a breach of legal requirements were found and the practice was rated as requires improvements for providing safe services. This was because we identified areas where the provider must make improvement and an area where the provider should improve.

We carried out a focussed desk based inspection of Lower Gornal Medical Practice on 21 December 2016 to check that the provider had made improvements. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Lower Gornal Medical Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk. Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

  • As part of our desk based inspection we noted improvements in the arrangements to deal with medical emergencies.
  • For example, since our comprehensive inspection took place in March, the practice effectively mitigated risk in the absence of specific emergency medicines and medical emergency equipment. We saw evidence to confirm that the practice had a defibrillator in place and had purchased specific emergency medicine associated with minor surgery and the procedure of fitting specific birth control devices.
  • When we inspected the practice in March we found that fridge temperatures were not appropriately recorded in line with guidance by Public Health England. As part of our desk based inspection the practice shared records to demonstrate that fridge temperatures were appropriately recorded.
  • When we inspected the practice in March, some patients we spoke with commented that occasionally conversations could be heard at the reception desk, this was due to the open plan reception and waiting area.
  • As part of our desk based inspection we saw copies of notices displayed to confirm that patients were advised that they could use a private area for private discussions and to speak to a member of staff if this was required. The practice manager also confirmed that reception staff were aware to offer a private area to patients who wanted to discuss sensitive issues or appeared distressed.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

1 March 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Lower Gornal Medical Practice on 1 March 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

  • Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance
  • Staff were aware of their responsibilities to raise and report concerns, incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, reviewed and addressed.
  • The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems, processes and practices in place to keep people safe and safeguarded from abuse.
  • Clinical audits were carried out to demonstrate quality improvement and to improve patient care and treatment
  • Staff we spoke with said they felt valued, supported and that they felt involved in the practices plans.
  • Staff worked with multidisciplinary teams to understand and meet the range and complexity of patients’ needs.
  • We observed the premises to be visibly clean and tidy. Information for patients about the services available was easy to understand, accessible and available on a variety of formats.
  • The practice offered proactive care to meet the needs of its population.
  • The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on. The practice had an active patient participation group which influenced practice development.

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

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

  • Ensure fridge temperatures are recorded correctly, in line with national guidance, to ensure robust maintenance of the cold chain.
  • Ensure risk is assessed and mitigated in the absence of specific emergency medicine associated with minor surgery and the procedure of fitting specific birth control devices.
  • Ensure risk is mitigated in the in the absence of emergency medical equipment such as the defibrillator.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

  • Ensure systems are in place to inform patients that a private area is available for private discussions.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice