Yeading Medical Centre

Updated 4 January 2024

Yeading Medical Centre is located in Ealing, North West London at:

18 Hughenden Gardens

Northolt

UB5 6LD

The practice delivers primary care services from a single location to a patient population of around 7000 people within the boroughs of Ealing and Hillingdon. The practice is part of a wider network of GP practices in the Northolt Primary Care Network (PCN) and falls within the North West London NHS commissioning area.

Information published by the UK Health Security Agency shows that deprivation within the practice population group is in the third lowest decile (3 of 10). The lower the decile, the greater the level of income deprivation in the area relative to others. Rates of obesity, hypertension and diabetes are relatively high. The practice population is ethnically diverse and the age distribution is younger than the national average, with more patients aged under 18 and working age adults and fewer patients aged 65 or over.

The practice is led by the lead GP with support from regular locum GPs and a business manager. The practice employs a practice nurse who provides nurse-led clinics for long-term conditions and immunisations. The service is supported by a team of reception/administrative staff. Patients have the choice of a male or female GP.

The provider is registered with CQC to deliver the regulated activities: diagnostic and screening procedures; maternity and midwifery services; and treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

Updated 4 January 2024

We carried out an announced focused inspection at Yeading Medical Centre from 6-9 June 2023. Overall, the practice is rated as good.

Safe - Good

Effective - Good

Caring - Not inspected, rating of good carried forward from previous inspection

Responsive - Good

Well-led - Good

Following our previous rated inspection in March 2022, the practice was rated requires improvement overall. It was rated requires improvement for providing safe, effective and well-led services. The practice was rated good for providing caring and responsive services at an earlier inspection in December 2016.

At the inspection in March 2022, we found shortcomings in the management of risk. For example, patients prescribed certain medicines were not always monitored appropriately; patient safety alerts were not being implemented and the management of some long-term conditions was inconsistent. We also found that ‘Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation’ records were not always complete or easy to follow. The practice had experienced management instability which had a negative impact on the wider team.

Why we carried out this inspection

This inspection was a focused inspection to follow up on previous breaches in regulations. At this inspection, we covered the following key questions:

• Are services safe?
• Are services effective?
• Are services responsive?
• Are services well-led?

How we carried out the inspection/review

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

• 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 short site visit.

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:

• The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
• Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs. However, the practice was underperforming on childhood immunisation targets and there remained scope to further improve its management of asthma and hypothyroidism.
• Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way. The practice prioritised patients with more urgent needs. Feedback about getting through to the practice by telephone was lower than average. The practice had adjusted its appointment system in response to patient feedback.
• The way the practice was led promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.
• The practice had taken action to address the issues identified at the previous inspection.

Whilst we found no breach of regulations, the provider should:

• Take action to ensure that all patients with asthma and hypothyroidism are followed up in line with guidelines and chronic kidney disease is coded correctly on the practice system.
• Take action to improve performance in relation to childhood immunisation targets.
• Continue to build effective working relationships with local stakeholders.
• Monitor telephone access to the practice.

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