Apex Medical Centre

Updated 14 November 2019

• The registered provider is Apex Medical Centre.
• Apex Medical Centre is located at 1st Floor, The Medical Centre, Gun Lane Surgery, Rochester, Kent, ME2 4UW. The practice has a general medical services contract with NHS England for delivering primary care services to the local community. The practice website address is www.apexmedicalpractice.co.uk.
• As part of our inspection we visited 1st Floor, The Medical Centre, Gun Lane Surgery, Rochester, Kent, ME2 4UW only, where the provider delivers registered activities.
• Apex Medical Centre has a registered patient population of approximately 7,000 patients. The practice is located in an area with an average deprivation score.
• There are arrangements with other providers (MedOCC) to deliver services to patients outside of the practice’s working hours.
• The practice staff consists of three GP partners (two male and one female), one practice manager, one assistant practice manager, two practice nurses (both female), one healthcare assistant / phlebotomist (female) as well as reception and administration staff. The practice also employs locum GPs directly.
• Apex Medical Centre is registered with the Care Quality Commission to deliver the following regulated activities: diagnostic and screening procedures; family planning; maternity and midwifery services; surgical procedures; treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

Updated 14 November 2019

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Apex Medical Centre on 6 November 2018. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. The full comprehensive report on the November 2018 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Apex Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

After our inspection in November 2018 the practice wrote to us with an action plan outlining how they would make the necessary improvements to comply with the regulations.

We carried out an announced comprehensive follow-up inspection on 22 October 2019 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 6 November 2018. This report covers findings in relation to those requirements.

Overall the practice is now rated as Good.

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good.

Are services effective? – Good.

Are services caring? – Good.

Are services responsive? – Good.

Are services well-led? – Good.

At this inspection we found:

• The practice had made improvements to the systems, processes and practices that helped to keep patients safe and safeguarded from abuse. These were now effective.
• The practice had revised and improved their assessment and management of risks to patients, staff and visitors. These were now effective.
• Staff had the information they needed to deliver safe care and treatment to patients.
• There had been improvements to the arrangements for medicines management in the practice and patients were now being kept safe as a result.
• The practice was able to demonstrate that they learned from and made improvements when things went wrong.
• Quality improvement activity had been effective and was ongoing.
• All staff were now up to date with essential training.
• Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Patients were able to access care and treatment from the practice within an acceptable timescale for their needs.
• The practice was now recording, investigating and where possible learning from verbal complaints as well as those received in writing.
• Governance arrangements had been improved and were being effective.
• The practice had completed the registration process with CQC and now had a Registered Manager.
• The practice had established a patient participation group.
• The practice had systems and processes for learning, continuous improvement and innovation.
• There was a focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.

The areas where the provider should make improvements:

• Continue with plans to replace clinical wash-hand basins in the practice that do not comply with Department of Health guidance.
• Continue with plans to install an automatic entrance door to the practice building and consider carrying out a disability risk assessment of the practice.
• Continue to implement and monitor the results of action to improve the uptake of cervical screening by relevant patients.
• Continue to implement and evaluate planned activities to improve patient satisfaction scores.

Rosie Benneyworth
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care

Updated 14 November 2019

Updated 14 November 2019

Updated 14 November 2019

Updated 14 November 2019

Updated 14 November 2019

Updated 14 November 2019