The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

The Dorchester Road Surgery

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

179 Dorchester Road, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 7LE (01305) 766472

Provided and run by:
The Dorchester Road Surgery

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about The Dorchester Road Surgery 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 The Dorchester Road Surgery, you can give feedback on this service.

17 November 2022

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dorchester Road Surgery on 17 November 2022. We inspected three key questions: Safe, Effective and Well-led. Ratings for Caring and Responsive were carried forward from the previous inspection in December 2016. Overall, the practice is rated as good

We have rated the domains as:

Safe - good

Effective - good

Caring - Not inspected, rating of Good carried forward from a previous inspection (2016)

Responsive - Not inspected, rating of Outstanding carried forward from a previous inspection (2016)

Well-led - good

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

We inspected three key questions: Safe, Effective and Well-led. Ratings for Caring and Responsive were carried forward from the previous inspection.

How we carried out the inspection

Throughout the pandemic CQC has continued to regulate and respond to risk. However, taking into account the circumstances arising as a result of the pandemic, and in order to reduce risk, we have conducted our inspections differently.

This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site. This was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements.

This included:

  • Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing
  • Completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system and discussing findings with the provider
  • Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider
  • Requesting evidence from the provider
  • A short site visit
  • A Staff Questionnaire

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 high-quality, person-centre care.
  • The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care provided.

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

  • Complete infection control training for all staff.
  • Continue to improve the uptake of cervical screening.

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 Hospitals and Interim Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services

14 October 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dorchester Road Surgery on 14 October 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

  • There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
  • The practice had carried out a number of risk assessments, action plans, and audits to ensure patient and staff safety. These related to areas such as safeguarding, infection control, medicines, emergency events, and health and safety.
  • A legionella risk assessment had been completed, but the practice had not completed all of the required actions identified in the assessment.
  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect.
  • The practice provided person centred, holistic services to patients, and particularly patients with mental health and substance misuse difficulties who were living in circumstances that made them vulnerable.
  • 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.
  • The practice was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and open culture and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
  • The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

We saw an area of outstanding practice:

  • The practice provided a service for patients experiencing substance misuse difficulties. They offered appointments to patients living in the whole of the county and from other practices. They also offered services to patients who had just left prison and to temporary residents until they were registered with a permanent practice. The practice had 103 patients receiving substitute prescribing. Over the past year, GPs at the practice had seen 159 patients for substitute prescribing in total and 116 were patients from other practices. An audit in September 2015 showed that 28% of patients using the substance misuse service at the practice tested negative for opiate use.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

  • The practice should review their risk management policy and processes for legionella and fire safety to meet best practice.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice