Archived: Lynton Health Centre

We carried out an announced inspection at Lynton Health Centre on 14 July 2022. Overall, the practice is rated as Good.

Safe - Good

Effective - Good

Caring - Good

Responsive - Good

Well-led - Good

The full reports for previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Lynton Health Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Why we carried out this inspection

This inspection was a comprehensive inspection to review the standard of care since the takeover of the new provider Symphony Healthcare Services Ltd.

We looked at all five key domains: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well Led.

How we carried out the inspection

Throughout the pandemic CQC has continued to regulate and respond to risk. However, taking into account the circumstances arising as a result of the pandemic, and in order to reduce risk, we have conducted our inspections differently.

This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site. This was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements.

This included:

• Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing
• Completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system and discussing findings with the provider
• Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider
• Requesting evidence from the provider
• A short site visit

Our findings

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.
• information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

We have rated this practice as Good overall

We found that:

• Patient feedback was positive about the change of provider, seeing this as an important development to safeguard the future of the services in Lynton and Lynmouth.
• The practice was able to demonstrate that they had continued to learn and innovate through the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a commitment to engage with other providers and educational institutions to highlight and share best practice.
• 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 adjusted how it delivered services to meet the needs of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way and closer to home.
• The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.

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

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

Chief Inspector of Hospitals and Interim Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services