- GP practice
Park Avenue Medical Centre
Assessment report published 19 October 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 21 September to 23 September 2026.
Park Avenue Medical Centre is a GP practice with 2 locations. The primary site is situated at 166-168 Park Avenue North, Northampton, NN3 2HZ. There is a second site situated at Kings Heath Practice, North Oval, Kings Heath, NN5 7LN. The practice delivers services to 15,100 patients under a contract held with NHS England. The National General Practice Profiles states that the practice population is 78.5% White, 7.7% Black, 8.4% Asian, 3.9% Mixed and 1.5% Other. Information published by Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that deprivation within the practice population group is in the 5th decile (5 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the practice population is relative to others. 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.
This announced assessment was undertaken as the service has not been assessed since it registered with the CQC in 2019. We assessed all 5 key questions to establish if the services provided are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
During this assessment, we found evidence of a strong learning culture where staff felt able to raise concerns. Managers investigated incidents thoroughly and used learning to improve services. People were protected from harm and staff understood how to identify and manage risks. Premises and equipment were clean, well maintained and suitable for people's needs, with risks appropriately mitigated. There were sufficient staff with the skills, qualifications and experience required to meet people's needs. Ongoing training and development were embedded within the practice and recognised as essential to delivering high-quality care. Medicines were managed safely and people were involved in decisions about changes to their treatment.
There was a holistic approach to assessing, planning and delivering care and treatment. Care was delivered in line with current evidence and good practice. Staff worked collaboratively with partner agencies to achieve positive outcomes and support smooth transitions between services. People were provided with the information they needed to make informed decisions and give consent to care and treatment.
The practice treated people as individuals and staff were highly effective in ensuring care, support and treatment reflected people's needs and preferences. People were treated with kindness and compassion, and staff respected and promoted their privacy and dignity. Leaders supported staff to deliver person-centred care.
Services were tailored to meet the needs of the local population and delivered in a way that promoted flexibility, choice and continuity of care. People knew how to provide feedback and were confident it would be listened to and acted upon. The practice had taken action to improve access and reduce barriers to care. People received fair and equitable treatment, and the practice worked proactively to address health inequalities through ongoing learning, engagement and service improvement. People were involved in planning their care and understood their choices, including the option to decline or withdraw from treatment.
Leadership, governance and culture supported the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care. Leaders had a clear understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the service and modelled the organisation's values. Staff satisfaction was high and there were clear roles, responsibilities and lines of accountability. Effective governance systems were in place to monitor performance and drive continuous improvement. There was a strong commitment to learning, innovation and the delivery of sustainable high-quality care.
People's experience of this service
The practice encouraged and used feedback from people to improve services. Both verbal and written complaints were investigated and used to drive improvement. Feedback from the NHS Friends and Family Test was positive, with 91% of respondents (301 of 330 responses) in June 2026 rating their experience as good or very good. People we spoke with were positive about the quality of care and treatment they received.
Results from the National GP Patient Survey published in July 2026 showed people were generally satisfied with the service, with scores broadly in line with local and national averages. For example, 91% of patients reported having confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to at their last appointment, compared with a national average of 93%.
The practice did not have an active patient participation group (PPG). Leaders told us the previous longstanding group had ceased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence reviewed showed the practice was actively seeking to establish a new PPG. Leaders described plans to increase patient engagement through targeted contact with specific patient groups.