The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Friern Barnet Medical Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

16 St Johns Villas, Friern Barnet Road, London, N11 3BU (020) 8368 1707

Provided and run by:
Friern Barnet Medical 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 Friern Barnet Medical 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 Friern Barnet Medical Centre, you can give feedback on this service.

19 January 2017

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 Friern Barnet Medical Practice on 1 July 2015. The overall rating for the practice was good, with a requires improvement rating for the safe key question. The full comprehensive report can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Friern Barnet Medical Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 19 January 2017 to confirm the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is still rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • The practice used a system to ensure vaccines were safely stored and managed, including an effective ‘cold chain’ policy.
  • Patient Group Directions and Patient Specific Directions were up to date and signed by a principal GP and all appropriate staff who used them to administer vaccines or medicines.
  • An annual infection control audit had taken place and an action plan was in place.
  • There was evidence that the practice complaints system was used to make improvements to care.

All of the areas for improvement and breaches of regulation had been addressed.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

1 July 2015

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Friern Barnet Medical Centre on 1 July 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Please note that when referring to information throughout this report, for example any reference to the Quality and Outcomes Framework data, this relates to the most recent information available to the CQC at that time.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected 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 and addressed.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed, with the exception of those relating to the safe storage of vaccines and infection control.
  • Patients’ 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 we spoke with on the day expressed some concerns about phone access but were otherwise positive about how they were able to get appointments when they needed them.
  • 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.

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

Importantly the provider must:

  • Ensure that vaccines are safely managed and stored.
  • Ensure that appropriately signed Patient Group Directions (PGDs) are on file for the practice nurse and that appropriately signed Patient Specific Directions (PSDs) are on file for the health care assistant; to ensure the safety of vaccinations being given.
  • Ensure that annual infection prevention and control audits take place in order to identify and act on infection risks.

In addition, the provider should:

  • Review the practice's complaint system to ensure that learning from complaints is used to improve the quality of care.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice