• Doctor
  • GP practice

Orchard End Surgery

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Orchard End, Dorothy Avenue, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 3AY

Provided and run by:
Orchard End Surgery

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of Assessment: 2 July 2026. Orchard End Surgery is a GP practice and delivers services to approximately 4,278 people under a contract held with NHS England. According to the latest available data, the ethnic make-up of the service area is approximately 95.8% White, 1.3% Asian, 1.7% Mixed, 0.6% Black and 0.5% Other. Information published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows deprivation within the service population group is in the 7th decile (7 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the service population is relative to others.

This was a focused assessment. We undertook this assessment due to the length of time since our last assessment. We assessed 10 quality statements from across all 5 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. Where relevant, further commentary is provided in the quality statements section of this report.

Staff kept facilities clean and maintained equipment appropriately to ensure people were kept safe. They assessed and managed the risk of infection well and took steps to control the risk of it spreading. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience.

Staff supported people to live healthier lives, monitoring their care and treatment to ensure they received positive and consistent outcomes.

Staff treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion, and respected their privacy and dignity.

People could access care, treatment and support when they needed it. Leaders and staff were alert to discrimination and inequality that could disadvantage groups of people who used the service and sought ways to address any barriers.

Leaders were visible and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. Leaders accounted for the actions, behaviours and performance of staff through clear and effective governance processes. Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust.

23 May 2017

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Orchard End Surgery on 15 September 2016. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. The practice was rated as requires improvement for providing safe, effective and well-led services and rated as good for providing caring and responsive services. The full comprehensive report on the September 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Orchard End Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 23 May 2017 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 15 September 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is now rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • Since our inspection in September 2016 the practice had improved its systems and processes in order to ensure that, risks were assessed and implemented well enough to ensure patients, staff and visitors were kept safe.

  • The practice had ensured that staff had received relevant training, annual appraisals and were supported to keep up to date with all relevant mandatory training. For example, safeguarding, information governance and basic life support.

The practice had also taken appropriate action to address areas where they should make improvements:

  • The security arrangements for the dispensary had been improved in order to ensure it was accessible to authorised staff only.

  • Regular audits of infection prevention and control had been implemented and conducted.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

15 September 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Orchard End Surgery on 15 September 2016. Overall the practice is rated as requires improvement.

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 for reporting and recording significant events.
  • Risks to patients were not always assessed and well managed. For example appropriate recruitment checks on staff had not always been undertaken prior to their employment and actions identified to address concerns with health and safety had not been taken.
  • There was no overall training plan for staff at the practice. Staff were not up to date with all mandatory training.
  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance.
  • 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 complaints and concerns.
  • Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
  • Governance arrangements were not always effectively implemented.
  • There was a clear leadership structure 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.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

  • Ensure recruitment arrangements include all necessary employment checks for all staff.
  • Ensure staff receive relevant training, annual appraisals and are supported to keep up to date with all relevant mandatory training such as safeguarding and basic life support.
  • Ensure risk assessment and management includes and addresses all risks to patients, staff and visitors.

In addition the provider should:

  • Review the security arrangements for the dispensary to allow access for authorised staff only.
  • Carry out regular audits of infection prevention and control.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice