The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

The Gables Medical Group

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

The Gables Health Centre, 26 St Johns Road, Bedlington, Northumberland, NE22 7DU (01670) 829889

Provided and run by:
The Gables Medical Group

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about The Gables Medical Group on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.

This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.

If you have concerns about The Gables Medical Group, you can give feedback on this service.

9 August 2019

During an annual regulatory review

We reviewed the information available to us about The Gables Medical Group on 9 August 2019. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.

17 February 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Gables Medical Group on 17 February 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and generally well managed.
  • The practice carried out clinical audit activity and were able to demonstrate improvements to patient care as a result of this.
  • The majority of patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect.
  • Urgent appointments were usually available on the day they were requested. The practice had introduced a daily open surgery as a result of increased demand for appointments and were continually monitoring its effectiveness.
  • The practice had a number of policies and procedures to govern activity, which were reviewed and updated regularly.
  • The practice had proactively sought feedback from patients and had a ‘virtual’ patient participation group.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
  • The practice had effective systems in place to support patients with long term conditions and were proactive in their treatment of patients with diabetes.

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

Importantly, the provider should:

  • Carry out a risk assessment detailing why it is not felt to be appropriate or necessary to have a defibrillator or oxygen at the branch surgery
  • Purchase spillage kits and ensure staff are aware of their location and how to deal with spillages of body fluids
  • Consider having a formal written business plan
  • Consider developing an ‘actual’ as well as ‘virtual’ patient participation group

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

24 September 2013

During a routine inspection

People expressed their views and were involved in making decisions about their care and treatment. We saw that staff dealt with enquiries from patients as discretely as possible. One person told us, 'They make you feel as if you are the only patient they have.'

The practice had in place safeguarding policies for both children and vulnerable adults. There was an identified lead clinician with clear roles and responsibilities to oversee safeguarding within the practice.

The practice was well organised and presented as clean, tidy and generally well maintained. There were effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection.

The provider had a recruitment policy in place. General practitioners and nurses employed within the practice were checked to ensure they had an up to date registration with the appropriate professional body.

The practice had in place a complaints policy and responded to complaints in an appropriate and timely manner.