Background to this inspection
Updated
25 January 2019
Argyle Street Medical Centre provides commissioned services under the General Medical Services (GMS) contract within the Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Commissioning Group (CCG) area.
In November 2016 Argyle Street Medical Centre merged with York House Surgery calling the combined provider of services Heywood Health and each surgery keeping its original location name. We were unable to inspect York House Surgery due to ongoing problems with its registration status with CQC.
All data provided and reported on is combined across the whole list and not just at Argyle Street Medical Centre.
The practice is responsible for providing treatment to approximately 10338 registered patients across both sites and offers services that include meningitis provision, the childhood vaccination and immunisation scheme, facilitating timely diagnosis and support for people with dementia, influenza and pneumococcal immunisations, patient participation, rotavirus and shingles immunisation, unplanned admissions, minor surgery and contraceptives.
Regulated activities include surgical procedures, family planning, treatment of disease, disorder or injury and diagnostic and screening.
Data shows that the age profile of the practice population is broadly in line with the CCG and national averages and that 95% of patients are from a white ethnic group and 5% from other ethnic groups.
Information taken from Public Health England placed the area in which the practice is located as two on the deprivation scale of one to ten. (The lower the number the higher the deprivation). In general, people living in more deprived areas tend to have greater need for health services.
At the time of the inspection the practice consisted of four GP partners (two male and two female), three, part time, female salaried GPs, one nurse practitioner, one practice nurse one pharmacist and three health care assistants. The clinical team is supported by a practice manager and assistant and a team of administration and reception staff.
Argyle Street Medical Centre is a training practice to doctors who are undergoing training to specialise in General Practice. At the time of the inspection there were two trainee GPs at the practice.
Updated
25 January 2019
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