Newquay GP rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated the Newquay Health Centre in Newquay Medical Centre, St Thomas’ Road, Newquay as Outstanding following an inspection in September 2015.

Under CQC’s programme of inspections, all primary medical services in England are being given a rating according to whether they are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.

The full report from the Newquay Health Centre inspection has been published on this website.

The practice provides primary medical services to around 16,100 patients throughout the Newquay area, while also serving as a training practice for doctors who are training to become GP’s and medical students from the Peninsula medical school.

CQC inspectors found that the practice used innovative and proactive methods to improve patient outcomes, working with other organisations to provide services responsive to local needs. The practice worked in partnership with a local charity to deliver a wide range of health projects for the local community.

Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses, and that all opportunities for learning from internal and external incidents were maximised.

CQC inspectors saw several areas of outstanding practice including:

• The practice were part of the ‘Living Well’ scheme in Cornwall. This patient centred way of working created a partnership between primary care, community health services, social care and the voluntary organisation to support an individual to achieve their goals. The scheme had triggered other projects such as directing patients with anxiety and depression to a community orchard gardening course and to a scheme called food works where selected patients could access a six week healthy eating programme run by a well known restaurant in the town. The local Clinical Commissioning Group report stated that the Newquay living well scheme had confirmed a major increase in positive impact on patients. Hospital admissions for patients with long term conditions had reduced by 40% with a 5% reduction in cost and demand for adult social care. The scheme is being monitored by and has been praised by the Minister of State for Social Care and Support.
• The practice had responded to the needs of patients and introduced learning cafés. These themed events were for patients and carers to meet primary care staff, volunteer and charity groups and health care professionals. Patients were given information on self-management, healthy living and information on where to access patient support. The café with a dementia focus had been well attended.
• The GPs provided a primary medical service presence each weekday afternoon to the local community hospital. This service had reduced the average hospital stay from 28 days to 18 days by providing continuity of care for patients and improving communication with hospital staff.
• The practice had been part of developing a new project monitoring patients with epilepsy for risk factors and early intervention, to reduce risk of SUDEP (sudden death in epilepsy). A practice GP had co-written an article which had been published in the British Journal of General Practice and nominated for a HSJ award. The GPs were welcoming the use of the project tools and the practice were currently monitoring emergency department attendance.

Ruth Rankine, Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice for the South of England said: 

"We found that the Newquay Health Centre is providing an Outstanding service. Patients told us that they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and that they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment. They also told us that information was provided to help them understand the care available to them.

“We were particularly impressed with the practice’s work to initiate positive service improvements for local patients and the commitment of all staff to continuously seek improved outcomes for local people.

“Staff demonstrated a sound understanding of the differing needs of their patients and reflected these needs when planning and delivering services.  This is an excellent example of what outstanding care looks like.”

Ends

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