• Doctor
  • GP practice

Beechwood Medical Practice

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Fishponds Primary Care Centre, Beechwood Road, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3TD (0117) 908 2360

Provided and run by:
Beechwood Medical Practice

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about Beechwood Medical Practice 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 Beechwood Medical Practice, you can give feedback on this service.

12 August 2019

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out an announced focussed inspection at Beechwood Medical Practice on 15 August 2019 as part of our inspection programme.

We decided to undertake an inspection of this service following our annual review of the information available to us. This inspection looked at whether the practice provided effective and well led services.

The practice was previously inspected in December 2015 and in the report published in February 2016 there was a recommendation that the practice should review the protocol for the safe management of medicines in the practice including emergency medicines and to ensure that staff understood and followed the procedures for the handling and safe storage of prescriptions.

During this inspection, we identified these areas had all been rectified and we saw evidence that the medicine stock was checked every month by the practice pharmacist and logged on a record sheet which was kept in the drug cupboard. This cupboard was in the minor treatment room, the door of which was kept locked when not in use.

We also saw evidence of an excel spreadsheet which was used for tracking prescription usage and the location where they were used. Prescriptions were kept in a locked cupboard and were signed out with a recording made of the date and serial numbers. Rooms where prescriptions were used were kept locked when not in use and printers had locks on the trays to show that and further detail is available in the evidence tables.

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 for providing effective and well led services because:

  • Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
  • 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.

We rated all population groups as good.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

  • Continue to monitor and improve exception reporting levels to be more in line with CCG and national averages, specifically for the long-term conditions of Diabetes, Mental Health and Asthma.
  • Ensure that Mental Health care reviews are being carried out when required
  • Monitor and improve cervical screening uptake.

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

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care

15 December 2015

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice


We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Beechwood Medical Practiceon 15 December 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

  • Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance.
  • Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
  • Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments always available the same day.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
  • Staff worked cohesively as a team and understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
  • Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management.
  • The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted upon.
  • The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.

We saw two areas of outstanding practice:

  • The practice had well developed and embedded support systems for carers, including younger carers, who were identified by the practice for a carers’ assessment which could take place at the practice or at the patient’s home. The carers were directed to appropriate services and invited to be part of regular meetings at the practice.

  • All patients registered with the practice were contacted by the nurse practitioner when they were discharged from hospital, who could arrange for further visits or support as needed. This had impacted on the admission rate of patients as their care was well managed.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

  • Review the protocol for the safe management of medicines in the practice including emergency medicines.

  • Ensure staff understand and follow the procedures for the handling and safe storage of prescriptions.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice