The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Gosberton Medical Centre

Overall: Outstanding read more about inspection ratings

Lowgate, Gosberton, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE11 4NL (01775) 840204

Provided and run by:
Gosberton Medical Centre

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of Assessment: 16 – 17 September 2025

Gosberton Medical Centre is a GP practice with a dispensary located in rural Lincolnshire, near Spalding. It delivers services to approximately 8,250 patients under a contract with NHS England.

The National General Practice Profiles states that the ethnic make-up of the practice population is 97.2% White, 2.3% Asian 0.37% Black, 0.9% Mixed, and 0.37% Other.

Information published by Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that deprivation within the practice population group is in the 7th decile (8 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the practice population is relative to others. This assessment considered the demographics of the people using the service, the context the service was working within and how this impacted service delivery. Where relevant, further commentary is provided in the quality statements section of this report.

We conducted this assessment due to issues identified at our previous assessment in 2024 which had resulted in a warning notice being issued to the provider. Since the last inspection, the practice had made improvements and is no longer in breach of regulations.

We found the service had a good learning culture and people could raise concerns. Incidents were investigated thoroughly. People were protected and kept safe. Staff understood and managed risks. The facilities and equipment met the needs of people, were clean and well-maintained and any risks mitigated.

There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. Managers made sure staff received training and appraisals to maintain high-quality care. Staff managed medicines well. The dispensary was well managed and delivered a good service to patients.

People were involved in assessments of their needs and care was based on latest evidence and good practice. Staff worked with all agencies involved in people’s care for the best outcomes. Staff made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity and treated people as individuals and supported their preferences. The service supported staff wellbeing.

People were given choices about their care, were involved in planning it and could access services in a timely way. The service provided information people could understand. The service worked to reduce health and care inequalities. The practice sought ways to improve services for patients and used this to enhance the local community network.

Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Staff felt supported and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. There was a culture of continuous improvement with staff given time and resources to develop.

 

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of assessment: 14th August 2024- 6th November 2024. Gosberton Medical Centre is a NHS GP practice with a dispensary located in rural Lincolnshire, near Spalding. There were approximately 8,000 patients registered with the service at the time of assessment. We conducted this assessment due to time since previous inspection and due to information of concern received by CQC. We assessed 6 quality statements across the safe, effective, responsive and well-led key questions. These scores have been combined with scores from our last inspection. Staff were supported in their roles by leaders and felt they were valued. The dispensary was well managed and delivered a good service to patients. The practice sought ways to improve services for patients and used this to enhance the local community network. However, we found some concerns around the management of people’s medicines, and care and treatment for people with long-term conditions, such as asthma and diabetes, which resulted in a warning notice being served on the provider relating to a breach of regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.The practice had developed a plan to address the issues found and told us they had begun to review their processes.

27 September 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Gosberton Medical Centre on 27 September 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

  • There was an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events and lessons were shared to make sure action was taken to improve safety in the practice.

  • The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems, processes and practices in place to keep patients safe and safeguarded from abuse.

  • The practice was signed up to the Dispensary Services Quality Scheme (DSQS) and carried out an annual audit in line with the requirements of the DSQS.

  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.

  • A business continuity plan was in place in the event of a major disruption to the service.

  • Medicines and Healthcare related products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) alerts and new and amended NICE guidance were discussed at regular clinical meetings. The practice audited current practice against new guidance and took action to improve the service provided.

  • Data from the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) showed patient outcomes were at or above average compared to the national average.

  • Clinical audits demonstrated quality improvement in patients’ care.

  • Staff worked together and with other health and social care professionals to understand and meet the range and complexity of patients’ needs and to assess and plan ongoing care and treatment.

  • All staff had undergone training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

  • Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.

  • There was evidence of appraisals and personal development plans for all staff.

  • Patients said they felt the practice offered an excellent service and staff were respectful and caring.

  • Data from the national GP patient survey showed patients rated the practice higher than others for several aspects of care.

  • Information for patients about the services available was easy to understand and accessible.

  • We saw staff treated patients with kindness and respect, and maintained patient and information confidentiality.

  • The practice were proactive and had a good process in place to identify carers and provided additional support as appropriate.

  • Practice staff reviewed the needs of its local population and engaged with the NHS England Area Team and Clinical Commissioning Group to secure improvements to services where these were identified.

  • Most patient feedback said they were able to get an appointment when they needed one. The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.

  • Information about how to complain was available and easy to understand and evidence showed the practice responded to issues raised.

  • A business plan was in place which outlined the short-term and long-term goals of the practice, which underpinned the vision.

  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management.

  • The practice had a clear meeting structure to ensure information was discussed at relevant meetings in a timely manner.

  • There was an overarching governance framework which supported the delivery of the strategy and good quality care.

  • The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

  • There was an established patient participation group which was active within the practice.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

  • Consider appointing a fire lead with appropriate training.

  • Consider and review the current process to investigate complaints to identify the root cause.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice