• Doctor
  • GP practice

Birchwood Medical Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

15 Benson Road, Birchwood, Warrington, Cheshire, WA3 7PJ (01925) 823502

Provided and run by:
Dr A K Patiniott & Partners

Latest inspection summary

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Background to this inspection

Updated 8 May 2018

Birchwood Medical Centre is located at 15 Benson Road, Birchwood, Warrington, Cheshire, WA3 7PJ. The premises is a large purpose built building near to the shopping centre in Birchwood. The provider of the service is Dr D A Royle & Partners.

The website address is

The practice provides a range of primary medical services including examinations, investigations, minor surgery and treatments and a number of clinics such as diabetes, contraceptive services, chronic heart disease and hypertension.

The practice is part of Warrington Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The practice has a Personal Medical Contract (PMS). Data available to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) shows the practice is responsible for providing primary care services to approximately 11,254 patients.

Data available to CQC shows the number of registered patients suffering income deprivation is slightly less than the national average.

The majority of patients, approximately 96%, are white British.

The staff team includes three male and one female GP partners; five salaried GPs; three nurses one of whom is a nurse prescribe, a physiotherapist, a clinical pharmacist, two health care assistants/phlebotomist, a GP assistant, a practice manager, an assistant practice manager with four medical secretaries, four reception staff and nine clerical and support staff.

The practice is a ‘training practice.’ This means hospital doctors wanting to enter general practice spend time at the practice in order to gain the experience they need to become general practitioners. The practice also has medical students from Liverpool University. 

Birchwood Medical Centre is open from 8am to 18.30pm Monday to Friday. However surgery closes on one Thursday a month, usually the last Thursday, from 1.00 p.m. for training and educational purposes. Patients requiring a GP urgently are advised to contact the NHS 111 GP out of hour’s service.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 8 May 2018

This practice is rated as Good overall. (Previous inspection 12 May 2015 – Good)

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? - Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Birchwood Medical Centre on 17 April 2018 as part of our inspection programme.

Previously we carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Birchwood Medical Centre on 12 May 2015. The overall rating for the practice was good. The full comprehensive report on the May 2015 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Birchwood Medical Centre on our website at .

At this inspection we found:

  • The practice had clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the practice learned from them and improved their processes.
  • The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
  • Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
  • Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they were able to access care when they needed it.
  • There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.
  • We received eight comment cards all of which were highly positive about the level of care experienced.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management.
  • There was a system in place to manage and learn from complaints.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGPChief Inspector of General Practice