The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Ramsbottom Medical Practice

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Ramsbottom Health Centre, Carr Street, Ramsbottom, Bury, Lancashire, BL0 9DD (01706) 824413

Provided and run by:
Ramsbottom Medical Practice

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about Ramsbottom Medical Practice 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 Ramsbottom Medical Practice, you can give feedback on this service.

27 July 2019

During an annual regulatory review

We reviewed the information available to us about Ramsbottom Medical Practice on 27 July 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.

During a routine inspection

This practice is rated as Good overall. (Previous rating November 2016 – Good)

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Ramsbottom Medical Practice on 11 July 2018 as part of our inspection programme

The key questions at this inspection 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 clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the practice learned from them and improved their processes.
  • The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
  • Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
  • Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they were able to access care when they needed it.
  • There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGPChief Inspector of General Practice

Please refer to the detailed report and the evidence tables for further information.

09 November 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

This is a focused inspection of Ramsbottom Medical Practice on the 09 November 2016 in one area within the key question safe. The evidence was reviewed at Ramsbottom Medical Practice.

We found the practice to be good in providing safe services. Overall, the practice is rated as good.

The practice was previously inspected on 21 May 2015. The inspection was a comprehensive inspection under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. At that inspection, the practice was rated good overall but requires improvement for providing safe services.

At the inspection on 09 November 2016 we found that the required improvements had been made.

During the inspection we reviewed a range of documents which now demonstrate they have made the required improvements.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

21st May 2015

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Ramsbottom Medical Practice on 21st May 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing effective, caring, responsive and well led services. It required some improvements in safety. The practice was good for providing services for all the population groups.

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

  • The practice had undergone a period of considerable change over the previous eighteen months. During this period when there had been alterations to the structure and to the staff and leaders, the practice had continued to provide an effective service to its patients.
  • 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 with the exception of risks relating to recruitment checks such as the retention of required documentation for all members of staff.
  • When things went wrong, information about the event and learning was not always effectively shared so that all staff knew how to minimise re-occurrence in the future.
  • Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance.
  • Not all staff received support and training appropriate to their roles. Prior to the inspection, training needs had been identified and planned but training that had been provided and undertaken was not consistently recorded.
  • 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.
  • Some patients said they found it difficult to make an appointment with a named GP in a timely manner. However they said there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
  • The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. We found concerns that the reception and waiting area were too small and patient conversations could be overheard.
  • There was a newly embedded leadership structure whereby staff felt supported and knew who to approach regarding different issues.
  • Policies, procedures and protocols were available for staff to refer to in various different areas of the practice. Some policies needed review so that they reflected current practice and all policies needed to be in one easily accessible place for staff to quickly refer to without having to leave their work station.
  • The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

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

Importantly, the provider must:

  • Ensure systems to manage medicines are effective.
  • Ensure that recruitment procedures are established and operated effectively and the information specified in Schedule 3 is available in relation to each person employed by the practice.

In addition the provider should :

  • Establish and effectively operate systems that assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the services provided..
  • Operate a service which is transparent, collaborative and open about performance and that events of significance and any learning therefrom is shared with all relevant staff.
  • Provide policies and procedures which are practice specific, are reviewed and kept up to date and are easily accessible at all times by all members of staff.
  • Implement a system to identify, record and effectively plan all staff training and provide support, training and appraisal that is consistent for all members of staff..

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice