The Care Quality Commission
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  • GP practice

Canford Heath Group Practice

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

9 Mitchell Road, Canford Heath, Poole, Dorset, BH17 8UE (01202) 772540

Provided and run by:
Canford Heath Group 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 Canford Heath Group 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 Canford Heath Group Practice, you can give feedback on this service.

6 January 2019

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out an announced focussed inspection at Canford Health Group practice on 6 November 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 focused on the following key questions:

Is the service effective?

Is the service well led?

Because of the assurance received from our review of information we carried forward the ratings for the following key questions:

Is the service safe?

Is the service caring?

Is the service responsive?

The practice was previously inspected in 17 May 2016 and in the report published in June 2016.

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:

  • The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm
  • People had good outcomes because they received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
  • Information about people’s care and treatment was routinely collected, monitored and acted upon.
  • 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.
  • Clinical and internal audit processes functioned well and had a positive impact in relation to quality governance.

We rated all population groups as good.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

The practice had audited and recognised the identification of carers was lower than expected and looked at ways to actively increase this. Action included placing a notice board in the waiting room and sending a text message out to the whole practice population asking to text back the word CARE if they were a carer. An automated message was included on the practice telephone line was also commenced asking carers to identify themselves to the practice. This action resulted in an increase of 213 additional carers being identified and sent information about the inhouse monthly carers’ group.

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

  • Continue to use systems to monitor and ensure prescribing patterns of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (anti-inflammatory medicines which can have troublesome side effects) are appropriate.

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

17/05/2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice


We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Canford Health Group Practice on 17 May 2016. 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 in place for reporting and recording significant events.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. Chronic disease was managed well, for example, the care of people with diabetes.
  • 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.

  • There was one care home in the practice area. The enhanced care practitioner undertook weekly ward rounds, to provide proactive and personalised care. The GPs also undertook visits to see patients when requested and had good relationships with the care home staff.

  • 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. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
  • 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.
  • 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 and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

We saw one area of outstanding practice

The practice was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs. The practice employed an enhanced care practitioner (ECP) and a health care assistant (HCA) specifically to support patients over the age of 75 years old. The HCA offered a health check to these patients which included supporting them with their health and social needs and signposting them where appropriate to other services.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

  • Review the business continuity plan to ensure it is comprehensive and covers all strategic areas.

  • Review the process for audits to be undertaken.

  • Review the provision of seating in the waiting room.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

18 December 2013

During a routine inspection

During the inspection we spoke with eight people who were registered as patients at the practice. We also spoke with nine members of staff including the registered managers, who were GP partners.

We found that people's dignity and privacy were respected and that care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare.

People were complimentary about the practice. For example, one person we spoke with during the inspection said, 'Don't let it change, it's so good'. All the people we spoke with expressed confidence in their care and treatment, and said they were able to get an appointment when needed, including same-day appointments.

A doctor told us, 'First and foremost for our patients it's about access. We believe our appointment system is very user friendly and in addition we provide a range of other services on site, including physio, chiropody and so on. And having a pharmacy on site we are almost a one-stop shop'.

We found that people who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening.

People were cared for by staff who were supported to deliver care and treatment safely and to an appropriate standard.

The provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received.