We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Argyle Street Medical Centre on 18 December 2018 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.
• The practice strongly supported staff in their career development.
• The practice, with other practices in the Clinical Commissioning Group and the wider NHS, had receptionists who were trained as care navigators who signposted patients to the right person at the right time across a variety of health services.

We saw areas of outstanding practice which included:

• Upon being recruited last year the practice nurse prescriber visited each nursing and residential home three times a week carrying out a ward round instead of reacting to each home visit request. Whilst there, the practice nurse prescriber re-educated staff in the homes about when to use other services and when to request home visits appropriately. These education sessions had resulted in a considerable reduction of home visit requests to the GP practice and ambulance call outs.
• They invested heavily in both clinical and non- clinical staff training and development resulting in increased clinical sessions and increased choice of clinicians including GPs, advanced nurse practitioner, practice nurse, pharmacist and focused care worker.

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

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Argyle Street Medical Centre on 3 December 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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. An annual infection control audit had been carried out and the results published on the practice website.

• All staff employed by the practice had received a disclosure and barring check (DBS check). (DBS checks identify whether a person has a criminal record or is on an official list of people barred from working in roles where they may have contact with children or adults who may be vulnerable).

• The practice implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a consequence of feedback from patients and from the patient participation group. For example open clinics were introduced twice weekly for patients who did not want to wait for a bookable appointment.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had 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.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was continuity of care. Urgent appointments were available the same day but not always with the doctor of choice.
• 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 both personally and professionally. 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.

An outstanding feature of the practice is that they won the Quality Teaching Practice silver award for Excellence in teaching year 4 medical students (2014-15), awarded by the Health Education North West at Manchester University and the practice nurse won the Practice Nurse of the Year (2015) awarded by the Royal College of General Practitioners

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGPChief Inspector of General Practice

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice