The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Tonge Fold Health Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Hilton Street, Tonge Fold, Bolton, Lancashire, BL2 6DY (01204) 521574

Provided and run by:
Tonge Fold Health Centre

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about Tonge Fold Health Centre 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 Tonge Fold Health Centre, you can give feedback on this service.

14 February 2020

During an annual regulatory review

We reviewed the information available to us about Tonge Fold Health Centre on 14 February 2020. 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.

26/02/2019

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Tonge Fold Health Centre

on 26 February 2019 as part of our inspection programme.

We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:

  • what we found when we inspected
  • information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
  • information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

We have rated this practice as good overall and good for all population groups.

We found that:

  • The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
  • Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
  • Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
  • The practice organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs. Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
  • The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.

We saw two areas of outstanding practice:

  • The practice held a weekly art group for female patients with mental health problems and had in the past worked with a local photography club. Patients’ art work and photographs were displayed around the practice which helped provide a more relaxing environment for patients when they were feeling unwell. GPs had reviewed patients who attended the art class and were prescribed analgesics (pain killers). The review resulted in these patients being prescribed less analgesics because of their involvement with the group.

  • There is a dedicated emergency room that is equipped to meet medical emergencies for the patient population who visit the practice. The room is easily accessible to all staff and there are emergency medicines and equipment readily available to clinicians, so they can deal with medical emergencies in a timely manner.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGPChief Inspector of General Practice

8 November 2016

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 Tonge Fold Health Centre on 8 November 2016. Overall the practice is now rated as good.

The practice had been previously inspected on 22 December 2014. Following that inspection the practice was rated overall requires improvement with the following domain ratings:

Safe – Requires improvement

Effective – Good

Caring – Good

Responsive – Good

Well-led – Requires improvement

Two compliance actions were issued as the practice was not meeting the legislation in place at that time for the following:

  • Regulation 10 HSCA 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 Assessing and monitoring the quality of service providers
  • Regulation 21 HSCA 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 Requirements relating to workers.

Following this re-inspection on 8 November 2016 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 in place for reporting and recording significant events.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • 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.
  • The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
  • 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.

We saw two areas of outstanding practice:

  • There is a dedicated emergency room that is equipped to meet medical emergencies for the patient population who visit the practice. The room is easily accessible to all staff and there are emergency medicines and equipment readily available to clinicians so they can deal with medical emergencies in a timely manner.
  • The practice had undertaken extensive research work on bowel cancer screening. This was undertaken in co-operation with the Greater Manchester Health Improvement Team, Public Health England and Bolton University. This work had improved the uptake of bowel cancer screening in men from low socioeconomic groups.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

22 December 2014

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

Tonge Fold Health Centre was inspected on the 22 December 2014. We rated the practice overall as requires improvement.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing effective, caring and responsive services. It required improvement for providing services for all the population groups that we assess. It required improvement for providing safe and well-led services.

Our key findings 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 learning was not always communicated to all staff.
  • Risks to patients were not always assessed and well managed, for example those relating to recruitment checks.
  • People’s needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
  • 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.
  • Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a GP and that 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.

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

The areas where the provider MUST make improvements are:

  • There was a failure to adopt in full the recruitment checks that legislation requires.
  • The leadership lacked strategic aim and direction and effective communication was not always evident. Quality assurance and the monitoring and review of risk was not always effective.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

  • Review the security arrangements for the fridges used to store medicines.
  • Additional guidance/training for chaperones.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice