The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

The College Practice

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

50-52 College Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6SB (01622) 752345

Provided and run by:
Maritime Health Partnership

All Inspections

25 February 2022

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out an announced focused inspection at The College Practice, Maidstone, Kent, on 25 February 2022 in response to information of concern we received regarding access to the practice.

Overall, the practice remains rated as Good and the rating for the responsive key question remains Good.

Following our previous inspection on 18 January 2017, the practice was rated Good overall and for all key questions. The full reports for previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The College Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

How we carried out the inspection

Throughout the pandemic CQC has continued to regulate and respond to risk. However, taking into account the circumstances arising as a result of the pandemic, and in order to reduce risk, we have conducted our inspections differently.

This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site. This was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements.

This included:

  • Requesting evidence from the provider.
  • A short site visit.

This inspection was part triggered as a result of a piece of work Care Quality Commission (CQC) was undertaking around the urgent and emergency care integrated pathway for patients in Kent and Medway. To understand the experience of GP providers and people who use GP services, we asked a range of questions in relation to urgent and emergency care. The responses we received have been used to inform and support system wide feedback.

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 have rated this practice as Good overall

We found that:

  • The practice organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs effectively.
  • Patients were positive about treatment and caring nature of the staff. We received mixed feedback about online service provision and prescription issues. Although patients were able to access the treatment concerns were raised about telephone access and the provider was addressing these. Throughout the inspection, we saw evidence that the practice had taken action to improve access to services. There was an action plan under continuous review for all areas of improvement, with a particular focus on how patients accessed the practice.

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

18 January 2017

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The College Practice on 18 January 2017. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

  • There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system for reporting and recording significant events.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
  • The arrangements for managing medicines in the practice kept patients safe.
  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • 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 available the same day.
  • The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
  • Translation services were available to patients whose first language was not English; with staff at the practice who could speak Dutch, Sinhalese, Bengali and Welsh. We saw that the practices’ self check-in system was accessible in English and Nepalese, as well as other European languages.
  • The practice had developed a wide range of other services for patients. The practice objective was to place the patients at the heart of the services, rather than the patients being sent through the health care system to access the services.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
  • The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

  • There was a focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels within the practice.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

  • Health promotion events were utilised by the practice as a means of supporting patients to live healthier lives. The PPG held information evenings annually. Additionally, the practice had a cycle scheme called ‘Cycle Healthy Cycle Happy’. The scheme was introduced to encourage patients to get back on their bikes and improve their health.

However there were areas of practice where the provider should make improvements:

  • Continue to ensure that infection control audits highlight areas of concern and ensure these are appropriately actioned.

  • Continue to ensure that all staff training files contain up to date evidence of training attended.

  • Continue to monitor and improve patient service results into telephone and appointment access.

  • Continue to improve the system that identifies patients who are also carers, in order to help ensure that all patients on the practice list who are carers are offered relevant support if required.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice