The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Quinton Practice

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

Great Wyrley Health Centre, Wardles Lane, Great Wyrley, Walsall, West Midlands, WS6 6EW (01922) 415515

Provided and run by:
Quinton Practice

All Inspections

9 October 2023

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Quinton Practice on 9 October 2023. Overall, the practice is rated requires improvement. We rated the key questions:

Safe - requires improvement

Effective - good

Caring - good

Responsive - good

Well-led – requires improvement

Following our previous inspection on 17 July 2017 the practice was rated Good overall and for all key questions.

The full reports for previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Quinton Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Why we carried out this inspection

We carried out this inspection due to the age of previous rating and in line with our current inspection priorities.

Our focus included:

  • Safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led key questions.

How we carried out the inspection

This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site.

This included:

  • Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing.
  • Completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system (this was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements).
  • Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider.
  • Requesting evidence from the provider.
  • A site visit.
  • Feedback from external stakeholders.
  • Conducting an interview with a representative of the patient participation group (PPG).

Our findings

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 found that:

  • Safeguarding systems were in place and staff demonstrated a clear understanding of the reporting and recording processes. However not all staff were up to date with their safeguarding training or achieved the level required for their role.
  • Staff recruitment checks had not been carried out in accordance with regulations.
  • Most health and safety risk assessments had been carried out and appropriate actions taken to mitigate identified safety risks for patients and staff.
  • There were effective systems in place to monitor the prescribing of medicines that required monitoring.
  • Most staff were up to date with essential training requirements and were provided with opportunities for learning and development.
  • The practice had a good uptake rate for childhood immunisations and had exceeded the national target for cervical screening uptake.
  • Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and communicated in a way that helped patients to understand their care, treatment and condition.
  • Patients had timely access to appointments. The National GP Patient Survey 2023 results showed the practice had exceeded all 4 indicators for providing responsive services compared with local and national averages.
  • Complaints were listened and responded to but not always reflected upon to improve the quality of care.
  • Staff felt supported in their work and found leaders approachable, supportive and visible.
  • Structures, processes, and systems to support good governance were in place but not fully embedded into practice.
  • Processes for managing risks, issues and performance were in place but were not always effective.

We found a breach of regulations. The provider must:

Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients.

In addition, the provider should:

  • Take action to improve the quality of medicine reviews and the management of patients with long-term conditions including an effective system for post exacerbation asthma recalls.
  • Take action to ensure that the risk of potential missed diagnosis of diabetes is reduced.
  • Implement a programme of targeted quality improvement.
  • Consider undertaking a trend analysis for complaints and significant events to allow reflection and improve learning.
  • Take action to ensure policies are updated to inform practice.
  • Continue to review and monitor the legionella control measures put in place.
  • Take action to ensure risks associated with portable fans and window blinds fitted with looped cords are mitigated.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

Chief Inspector of Health Care

17 July 2017

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice


We previously carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of Quinton Practice on 6 July 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good with requires improvement for providing a safe service. The full comprehensive report on the 6 July 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Quinton Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 17 July 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations identified at our previous inspection on 6 July 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • Discussion and learning outcomes from significant events were seen to have been shared with the wider practice team.
  • Risks had been identified and assessments carried out to minimise and mitigate the risks to the health, safety and welfare of service users and staff.
  • All staff had received a criminal record check through the disclosure and barring system (DBS).
  • Systems had been implemented to track the use and manage the non-collection of prescriptions.

Further improvements included:

  • The practice had taken steps to proactively identify more patients who also acted as carers.
  • A poster had been placed by the reception desk to inform patients that a translation service was available.
  • Staffing levels had been increased with the addition of a healthcare assistant and a receptionist.


Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

6 July 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Quinton Practice on 6 July 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

  • There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events. However, the practice could not demonstrate that learning and changes following significant events and complaints had become embedded into practice.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed, except that reception staff did not have Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and although risk assessments had been completed, these did not cover potential risks when chaperoning patients.
  • Robust systems were not in place for monitoring the use of prescription stationery or collection of prescriptions by patients.
  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance.
  • Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • Patients told us they could get an appointment when they needed one, although pre bookable appointments appeared to be discouraged in favour of book on day appointments.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
  • 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.
  • The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

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

Importantly, the provider must:

  • Introduce systems to ensure that learning and changes following significant events and complaints are shared with all members of staff and become embedded into practice.
  • Carry out a risk assessment regarding chaperones and Disclosure and Barring Service checks.
  • Carry out risk assessments for the areas of the building used by the practice.

In addition the provider should:

  • Introduce systems to monitor the use of prescription pads and blank computer prescription forms, and to manage the non collection of prescriptions.
  • Ensure that all staff complete training on infection prevention and control.
  • Continue to review the staffing levels following the merger to ensure there are sufficient staff to meet the needs of the patients.
  • Make patients aware that translation services are available.
  • Adopt a more proactive approach to identifying and meeting the needs of carers.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice