We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Fallowfield Medical Centre on 23 January 2019. This was the first inspection of this GP practice under this registered provider.

The GP partnership, took over this practice in early 2016 and the registration of the service with the CQC was completed in June 2018

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 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.
• The practice was responsive to need of vulnerable patients and offered direct telephone access to Citizen’s Advice. The practice was a designated homeless friendly and war veteran friendly GP surgery.
• The practice did not have a defibrillator available at the surgery. The practice supplied a risk assessment which detailed the actions the practice staff team would take to respond to a cardiac arrest.
• Following the inspection, the practice reviewed the range of emergency medicines available and increased those available to mitigate the potential risks to patients.
• There was a focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.

Whilst we found no breaches of regulations, the provider should:

• Review and consider the Resuscitation Council (UK) guidance which indicates an automated external defibrillator (AED) should be available within a primary care setting for immediate use.
• Improve the practice’s final written response to complaints to ensure details of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's (PHSO) are included.
• Continue to seek solutions to improve patient access and continue to promote and develop the patient participation group.

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