The Care Quality Commission
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Archived: Rowlands Gill Medical Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

The Medical Centre, The Grove, Rowlands Gill, Tyne and Wear, NE39 1PW (01207) 542136

Provided and run by:
Rowlands Gill Medical Centre

All Inspections

23 September 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced inspection of this practice on 8 September 2015, which resulted in the practice being rated as good overall but as requiring improvement for the responsive domain. This was because:

  • Patient satisfaction results in relation to accessing services at the practice were lower than local clinical commissioning group (CCG) and national averages, particularly in relation to satisfaction with opening hours and ease of being able to get through to the surgery by phone.

In September 2016 we commenced a focussed inspection where we asked the practice to send us information to evidence that they had responded to the issues previously identified and improved access to services. This report only covers our findings in relation to this requirement. You can read the report from out last comprehensive inspection by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Rowlands Gill medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • Current National GP Patients Survey results (July 2016) indicated that some areas of patient satisfaction relating to access to appointments had improved.
  • The practice had carried out their own surveys to canvas patient opinion in relation to access and had taken appropriate action in response to the results.
  • The practice had taken a number of steps to improve appointment availability and their telephone system.


Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

8 September 2015

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Rowlands Gill Medical Centre on 8 September 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good. Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led services.

Please note that when referring to information throughout this report, for example any reference to the Quality and Outcomes Framework data, this relates to the most recent information available to the CQC at that time.

We found that many improvements had been made since the previous inspection of January 2015 when the practice had been rated as inadequate and was placed into Special Measures.

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

  • Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
  • Staff had received training appropriate to their roles.
  • 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.
  • Most patients said they were able to get an appointment with a GP when they needed one, with urgent appointments available the same day.
  • The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
  • There was a clear leadership structure in place and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which they acted on.
  • Staff throughout the practice worked well together as a team.
  • The practice used the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) to monitoring its effectiveness but had only achieved 81.6% of the points available. This was below the local and national averages of 95.3% and 93.5% respectively. Following our inspection in January an analysis of the QOF data was carried out and it was identified that there were errors with the coding of work which had been carried out. This was addressed and preliminary data for the 2014/2015 year showed an improvement in the overall score (85%).

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

The provider should:

  • Take steps to ensure staff were aware of any necessary action to be taken following receipt of national safety alerts.
  • Review opening hours and consultation times in order to address concerns raised in the National GP Patient Survey.

However, we also saw an area of outstanding practice.

  • The practice had been involved in setting up ‘Rowlands Gill Live at Home’ service. This is a volunteer befriending and visiting service for the elderly. At the time of the inspection there were 115 members from within the local community and 45 volunteers.

I am taking this service out of special measures. This recognises the significant improvements that have been made to the quality of care provided by this service.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

28 January 2015

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of Rowlands Gill Medical Centre on 28 January 2015. We inspected the main surgery at Rowlands Gill and the branch surgery at High Spen. Overall the practice is rated as inadequate.

Specifically, we found the practice inadequate for providing safe and responsive services and being well led. Improvements were also required to ensure effective and caring services are provided.

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

  • The branch surgery premises at High Spen had been in need of renovation for several years and the practice had failed to take any action to address this.
  • Patients were at risk of harm because systems and processes were not in place to keep them safe. For example, there were no fire or health and safety risk assessments in place. A legionella risk assessment which identified risks had not been actioned. There was a process in place for reporting incidents, near misses and concerns however; there was a failure to follow this process.
  • There was a limited amount of clinical audits in place to improve patient outcomes.
  • There were gaps in the management of training and appraisal for staff, although staff reported they felt supported to carry out their roles.
  • Patients were positive about their interactions with staff and said they were treated with compassion and dignity.
  • Patients reported difficulty in getting through to the practice on the telephone to make an appointment. The national GP survey data showed that the percentage of patients rating their ability to get through on the phone as very easy or easy was 40%, the national average is 77%.
  • Patients stated it was difficult to obtain an appointment. Queues of patients formed outside of the main surgery every morning prior to the practice opening. The national GP survey data showed that the percentage patients reporting a good overall experience of making appointment was 52%, the national average is 78%.
  • Information on the services the practice provided was limited for patients and they had not sought the views of their patients in order to improve the quality of service.
  • The practice was not following recognised guidance and contractual obligations in respect of complaints for GPs in England.
  • Although there was a formal leadership structure the arrangements for governance and performance did not operate effectively.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

  • Ensure systems and process are in place to improve and monitor quality, effectiveness and safety, including access to the service.
  • Ensure appropriate infection control systems are in place.
  • Ensure the premises are safe and suitable for all patients to access.
  • Ensure they have a system for identifying, receiving, handling and responding to complaints and provide support to to patients to make a complaint.
  • Ensure recruitment arrangements include all necessary employment checks for all staff.
  • Ensure staff receive appraisals and assessments of their training needs.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are

  • Review the assessments of dispensing staff competency and their professional development.
  • Review patient access to appointments and the effectiveness of the telephone system.
  • Review wheelchair access to Rowlands Gill Medical Centre.
  • Review information available to patients on the services the practice provides.

On the basis of the ratings given to this practice at this inspection, I am placing the provider into special measures. This will be for a period of six months. We will inspect the practice again in six months to consider whether sufficient improvements have been made. If we find that the provider is still providing inadequate care we will take steps to cancel its registration with CQC.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice