The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Leicester Terrace Health Care Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

7-8 Leicester Terrace, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN2 6AL (01604) 633682

Provided and run by:
Leicester Terrace Health Care Centre

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of Assessment: 22 October to 24 October 2025. Leicester Terrace Healthcare Centre is a GP practice and delivers service to 18,177 under a contract held with NHS England. The service is delivered from 7-8 Leicester Terrace, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN2 6AL. We carried out an announced comprehensive assessment 24 October 2025, during which we assessed all quality statements across the safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led key questions. This assessment considered the demographics of the people using the service, the context the service was working within and how this impacted service delivery. Information published by Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that deprivation within the practice population group is in the 4th decile (4 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the practice population is relative to others.

During this assessment, we found that the service demonstrated a positive learning culture where people and staff felt confident to raise concerns. Clear roles, responsibilities, and accountability systems supported effective governance and leadership. Managers investigated incidents thoroughly, and lessons learned were used to strengthen practice. People were protected from avoidable harm, and staff effectively identified and managed risks.

There were enough suitably qualified and experienced staff to deliver safe and effective care. The practice listened to and acted on feedback, using it to continuously improve systems and processes. Staff reported high levels of job satisfaction and felt well supported by a clear and visible leadership structure. Compassionate and respectful care was central to the service’s approach, with staff treating people as individuals and promoting dignity, choice, and control in their care. The provider also prioritised staff wellbeing, recognising its importance in maintaining a positive and caring environment. The practice was last inspected in October 2016 when it was rated as Outstanding overall, with outstanding ratings for the provision of caring and well-led services.

At this inspection, the rating has changed from Outstanding to Good. We found that some of those elements previously regarded as outstanding practice were now embedded throughout most GP practices.

 

 

12 January 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Leicester Terrace Health Centre on 12 January 2016.

Overall the practice is rated as outstanding.

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. Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents or near misses. The practice logged all incidents and learning opportunities were maximised, with clear discussions and follow up action well documented. 
  • 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 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 learning from complaints and concerns.
  • Feedback from patients was consistently positive. Patients said they felt valued and were always treated with respect and dignity. Appointments with a named GP were readily available and there was continuity of care. On occasion patients noted a waiting time of longer than 15 minutes; however, the practice was aware of this feedback with regular surveys and monitoring of performance undertaken. The practice was seeking to address the situation with time management and appointment booking reviews. Urgent appointments and appointments for children were always available the same day.
  • The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. The practice demonstrated a thorough awareness of the needs of its patient population and had implemented measures to improve outcomes for those most at risk.
  • The practice delivered services to a higher than average proportion of younger patients and had forged good working relationships with a local county wide agency supporting parents with young children.
  • Twice weekly visits to patients living in care homes served by the practice had reduced unplanned hospital admission and Accident and Emergency activity.
  • The practice partners had created a flat and clear leadership structure. Staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff, external agencies and patients, which it acted on.
  • The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

We saw a number of areas of outstanding practice:

  • The practice had built positive relationships with local organisations that were able to provide life skills, emotional support and advice for patients. For example, a link with a community law service had been accessed by patients seeking help with debt management and advice regarding applications for eligibility for government benefits. Additionally, links with the local branch of the Samaritans charity offered immediate support to patients whilst waiting for contact by the Improved Access to Psychological Therapies service (IAPT).
  • The practice was forward looking and welcomed innovation. It supported staff in research projects and participated in local service development pilots, which had made demonstrable improvements to patients’ health and well-being.
  • The practice had sustained measurable improvement in recognising and understanding the needs of carers. The number of patients recorded as carers had increased and services provided to carers had been improved. The practice had received external accreditation of their work.
  • The practice demonstrated clear, strong and effective management. The partners had a vision for the practice, which had delivery of safe and high quality services to patients at its heart. The vision drove the ethos of the practice and formed a key plank of staff engagement and motivation.
  • The vision was supported by a clear strategic plan, which was implemented using a regularly reviewed, costed and updated business plan. Partners held individual responsibility for service delivery areas and reported on progress of projects or developmental areas and future opportunities.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice