• Doctor
  • GP practice

Dr Judith F Armstrong and Partners Also known as Spa Medical Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Snowberry Lane, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 6UN (01225) 703236

Provided and run by:
Dr Judith F Armstrong and Partners

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about Dr Judith F Armstrong and Partners 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 Dr Judith F Armstrong and Partners, you can give feedback on this service.

6 August 2019

During an annual regulatory review

We reviewed the information available to us about Dr Judith F Armstrong and Partners on 6 August 2019. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.

23 June 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr R J Matthews and Partners on 23 June 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

  • Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. All opportunities for learning from internal and external incidents were maximised.
  • The practice used innovative and proactive methods to improve patient outcomes, working with other local providers to share best practice. For example the practices work with the town council had led to benefits for patients.
  • Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • The practice implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a consequence of feedback from patients and from the patient participation group (PPG). For example in collaboration with the PPG the practice ran a number of health educational evenings for patients.
  • The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
  • The practice actively reviewed complaints and how they are managed and responded to, and made improvements as a result.
  • The practice had a clear vision which had quality and safety as its top priority. The strategy to deliver this vision had been produced with stakeholders and was regularly reviewed and discussed with staff.
  • The practice had strong and visible clinical and managerial leadership and governance arrangements.

We saw several areas of outstanding practice:

  • In response to a decline in the number of practices offering minor surgery and an increase in demand in the local population, the practice had worked with the clinical commissioning group to become a provider of a community surgical service for Wiltshire. The service included, skin surgery, carpel tunnel surgery (a hand and arm condition) and male sterilisation surgery. The local population had responded to the service very positively and there was evidence of excellent feedback from patients.
  • In response to high admissions from care homes the practice had successfully gained funding to appoint a team of nurse practitioners. This team delivered planned, proactive and coordinated care which ensured that the right care was delivered in the right setting by the most appropriate health care professional. This had led to a 58% reduction in admissions in 2015-16.
  • The practice had implemented a service that covered assessment, diagnosis and management of uncomplicated dementia in conjunction with Alzheimer’s support. A memory awareness volunteer attended the practice one morning a week to provide informal support to those who require it. Alzheimer support featured the practice in a film highlighting cooperative working, which went on to win a national award. A GP continued to work closely with the town council to promote dementia awareness and were working towards achieving dementia friendly town status.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

  • Ensure safeguarding policies reflect current legislation.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice