The Care Quality Commission has found the quality of care provided by The Castle Medical Group in Clitheroe, Lancashire, to be Outstanding following an inspection in January 2016.
Under CQC’s programme of inspections, all of England’s GP practices are being given a rating according to whether they are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.
The inspection team was led by a CQC lead inspector and included a GP, a member of the public with practice management experience as specialist advisors and an expert by experience. The services provided by The Castle Medical Group have been rated as Outstanding overall and Outstanding for providing services to the local population groups.
A full report of the inspection has been published today.
The surgery, operating at Clitheroe Health Centre on Railway View Avenue in Clitheroe, serves approximately 14,360 patients.
People told inspectors that they felt they were treated with dignity and respect by the practice staff and feedback about the service was consistently positive.
GP’s frequently visited a local boarding school to provide medical support to the resident children and carry out supervision and appraisals for the nurses at the school to ensure their competence and continued professional development.
The practice worked closely with other local GP’s and healthcare professionals to share best practice, the practice was proactive in gathering patient feedback and adapted the service when opportunities to improve where identified.
GP’s sought to deliver high quality, patient centred, care and treatment which was supported by all staff at the practice and promoted a good continuity of care.
Sue McMillan, Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice in the North, said:
"We found that The Castle Medical Group was working hard to provide people with consistently high quality care and treatment and it is a real asset to the people living in this part of Lancashire.
“When we visited the practice we were particularly impressed with the joint working with other GP’s and healthcare professionals to ensure consistent high quality care was provided in the community but the collaborative work done to treat patients, who had a specific heart condition - atrial fibrillation, was outstanding. As well as the commitment of all staff to continuously seek improved outcomes for local people.
“The practice was clearly well thought of by its patients. We found The Castle Medical Group was performing highly in patient surveys about the care and treatment it provided, and people we spoke to said they were treated with respect, dignity and compassion.
“This is a great example of what outstanding care looks like.”
Ends
For further information please contact CQC Regional Communications Officer Mark Humphreys on 0191 233 3519 or 07881656012.
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Find out more
Read our reports about The Castle Medical Group.
We were particularly impressed with the joint working to ensure consistent high quality care was provided in the community but the collaborative work done to treat patients, who had a specific heart condition - atrial fibrillation, was outstanding.
Sue McMillan, Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice in the North