The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

The Commonwealth Health Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Quebec Road, Tilbury, Essex, RM18 7RB (01375) 842396

Provided and run by:
College Health Limited

Important: This service was previously registered at a different address - see old profile

All Inspections

23 November 2023

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out a targeted assessment of The Commonwealth Health Centre on 23 November 2023 without a site visit. Overall, the practice is rated as good. We rated the key question of responsive as requires improvement.

Safe -good

Effective – good

Caring - good

Responsive – requires improvement

Well led - good

Following our previous inspection in April 2019, the practice was rated good overall and for all key questions. At this inspection, we rated the practice requires improvement for providing responsive services.

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

Why we carried out this inspection

We carried out this inspection as part of our GP responsive assessment

  • Responsive question inspected

This included:

  • Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing.
  • Requesting evidence from the provider.

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:

  • Patients had given lower patient GP access survey results at the last inspection and the practice had made changes, including contractual changes to respond to the patient data received.
  • Although the practice was making improvements to access, the national GP patient survey data showed a slow decline in satisfaction since 2019.
  • The provider had changed telephone provider and patients had access to an online video to explain how to use a call-back function.
  • Same-day access was implemented for all child appointments.
  • Extended access appointments were revised to include more screening and immunisation for patients outside of core practice opening hours.
  • Patient survey data was audited monthly to monitor progress and patient satisfaction outcomes.
  • Recognising high-risk patient groups, longer appointments were offered to address multiple health concerns. This was implemented following an analysis that 32 % of the patients registered lived with complex health needs.

Although we did not identify any breaches, the provider:

  • Should continue to audit patient survey data and continue to implement and review changes to access.

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

5 February 2019

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Commonwealth Health Centre on 5 February 2019 as part of our inspection programme.

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 have rated this practice as good overall and good for all population groups.

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.
  • The practice had signed up to the local QOF initiative to ensure high levels of performance. Unverified QOF data showed the practice had achieved 98% from April 2018 to February 2019.
  • Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
  • The practice organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs. Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
  • The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.
  • The practice received 37 positive comment cards regarding the care and treatment they had provided patients.
  • There was a focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation. Staff were encouraged to share responsibilities and develop their roles.
  • The practice had a dedicated learning disability co-ordinator and team who were passionate and responsive to patient’s needs. They had developed communication aids which were designed to make it easier for patients to understand the information they were being given.
  • The practice had employed a paramedic to carry out home visits, who had undertaken phlebotomy training to ensure patients being visited at home had access to effective care.
  • Pop-up clinics had been organised by the practice at the local church review patients who would did not usually engage directly with the practice.
  • The practice had introduced a workforce co-ordinator and found it had reduced the administrative workload of the GPs.
  • The practice had implemented a new multi-modal consultation system. Patients we spoke with on the day of the inspection said they found it easy to make an appointment.
  • There were high levels of staff satisfaction. Staff were proud of the organisation as a place to work and spoke highly of the culture. Staff at all levels are actively encouraged to raise concerns via the ‘speak up’ slots.
  • There was a clear proactive approach to seeking out and embedding new ways of providing care and treatment. For example, through the implementation of their multi-modal consultations.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

  • Improve the documentation for the monitoring of fridge temperatures.
  • Strengthen the completed actions documentation for environmental risk assessments.

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

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice