The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

The Wellington Health Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

16 Wellington Road, St John's Wood, London, NW8 9SP (020) 7722 3382

Provided and run by:
The Wellington Health Centre

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about The Wellington Health Centre on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.

This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.

If you have concerns about The Wellington Health Centre, you can give feedback on this service.

6 December 2019

During an annual regulatory review

We reviewed the information available to us about The Wellington Health Centre on 6 December 2019. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.

17 August 2017

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice


We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Wellington Medical Centre on 2 December 2014. The overall rating for the practice was good, however the rating for providing safe services was requires improvement. The full comprehensive report on the December 2014 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Wellington Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was undertaken to check the provider had taken the action we said they must and should take and was an announced comprehensive inspection on 17 August 2017. Overall the practice is still rated as good and the rating for providing safe services has improved from requires improvement to good.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • There was an open and transparent approach to safety and a system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
  • The practice now had clearly defined and embedded systems to minimise risks to patient safety. It had taken the action we said it must and should take at our December 2014 inspection in relation to medicines management. However, we identified some shortcomings in the arrangements checking ancillary emergency equipment and prescription security.
  • Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment. The practice had taken the action we said it must take at our December 2014 inspection to ensure staff training records were fully completed.
  • Results from the national GP patient survey showed patients were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
  • The majority of patients we spoke with said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP but some said there was not always continuity of care. Urgent appointments were available the same day.
  • The practice had adequate facilities and equipment to treat patients and meet their needs. However, there was no emergency pull cord in the disabled toilet.
  • 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 the requirements of the duty of candour. Examples we reviewed showed the practice complied with these requirements.

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

The provider should:

  • Ensure prescriptions left in printers are appropriately secured.
  • Ensure recorded checks of emergency equipment include ancillary emergency equipment such as oxygen masks, suction pumps and pulse oximeters.
  • Carry out checks of emergency exit routes to ensure they remain accessible and install an emergency pull cord in the patients’ toilet.
  • Continue with efforts to improve uptake of childhood immunisations in relation to national targets.
  • Review the system for the identification of carers to ensure all carers have been identified and provided with support.


Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

2 December 2014

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Wellington Health Centre on 2 December 2014. Overall the practice is rated as Good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing, effective, caring, responsive and well-led services. It was also good for providing services to the six population groups we looked at: older people; people with long-term conditions; families, children and young people; working age people (including those recently retired and students); people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable; and people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia).

We found the practice requires improvement for providing safe services.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • The practice worked in collaboration with other health and social care professionals to support patients’ needs and provided a multidisciplinary approach to their care and treatment.
  • The practice promoted good health and prevention and provided patients with suitable advice and guidance.
  • The practice provided a caring service. Patients indicated that staff were caring and treated them with dignity and respect. Patients were involved in decisions about their care.
  • The practice provided appropriate support for end of life care and patients and their carers received good emotional support.
  • The practice understood the needs of its patients and was responsive to these. It recognised the needs of different groups in the planning of its services.
  • The practice learned from patient experiences, concerns and complaints to improve the quality of care.

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

Importantly, the provider must:

  • Ensure training records are fully completed to ensure patients are fully protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care and treatment by the accurate maintenance of records about staff employed to carry out the regulated activities.
  • Put in place arrangements to ensure medicine stocks are managed safely.

In addition the provider should:

  • Arrange for all staff to receive formal training in safeguarding of vulnerable adults.
  • Ensure the assurances provided to the local PHE/NHS England immunisations coordinator are adhered to and the policy for ensuring medicines are kept at the required temperatures is followed at all times.
  • Take steps to raise staff awareness of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 especially in relation to understanding of deprivation of liberty safeguards (DOLs).
  • Communicate the practice’s chaperone policy more clearly to patients in clinical areas.
  • Ensure non-clinical staff who occasionally act as chaperones undergo a criminal records check.
  • Complete a documented risk assessment stating the rationale for not carrying out a criminal records check for some non-clinical staff.
  • Formally record the checks of medicine expiry dates and medical emergencies equipment. In addition, all staff trained to deal with medical emergencies should receive annual update training to fully meet UK Resuscitation Council guidelines.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice