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