The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Barlow Medical Centre

Overall: Outstanding read more about inspection ratings

828 Wilmslow Road, Didsbury, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M20 2RN (0161) 445 9000

Provided and run by:
Barlow Medical 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 Barlow Medical 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 Barlow Medical Centre, you can give feedback on this service.

25 June 2019

During an annual regulatory review

We reviewed the information available to us about Barlow Medical Centre on 25 June 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.

13/12/2018

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Barlow Medical Centre on 13 December 2018 as part of our inspection programme. Our inspection team was led by a CQC inspector and included a GP specialist advisor.

At the last inspection in July 2015 we rated the practice as good overall.

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 outstanding overall.

We rated the practice as outstanding for providing responsive services because:

  • Services were tailored to meet the needs of individual patients. The practice used technology to enable patients to access advice and support. A range of additional inhouse services were available and services were delivered in a flexible way that ensured choice and continuity of care.
  • The practice recognised the different challenges vulnerable adults and people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia) faced. Services were tailored to meet the needs of these population groups and these were delivered in a way to ensure effective care and treatment was delivered and monitored.

We rated the practice as outstanding for providing well-led services because:

  • The culture of the practice and the way it was led and managed drove the delivery and improvement of high-quality, person-centred care.
  • There was a focus of working with the local and wider community to foster, promote and deliver high quality effective integrated care.

We also rated the practice as good for providing safe, effective and caring services because:

  • 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 monitored performance and implemented action to improve service delivery and effectiveness.
  • Patients were treated patients with kindness, respect and compassion. Feedback from patients was positive about the way staff treated people.

We saw areas of outstanding practice including:

  • The innovative use of electronic information systems to communicate effectively both within the practice teams, with external professionals and patients.
  • The practice provided three on call GPs daily. This meant the practice had the capacity to meet patient demand for either a telephone consultation, a face to face visit or home visit.

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

  • Maintain a log of prescription paper allocated to each printer.
  • Implement the planned review to improve exception reporting.

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

10 July 2015

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Barlow Medical Centre on 10 July 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

  • Staff 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.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
  • Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
  • 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 urgent appointments available the same day. They told us they had to wait if they wanted an appointment with a specific GP.
  • 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.

We saw areas of outstanding practice:

  • A professor of Dementia Studies reviewed all dementia referrals and the practice had secured funding for dementia advisors at the practice. An audit of read coding had increased the number of patients on the dementia register from 50 to 74 without clinical intervention.
  • One of the GPs led research for the practice and had been involved in clinical trials since 1999. The GP was due to retire but was staying on in a research/clinical trial role until a GP was found with a particular interest in replacing them in this role.

However there were areas of practice where the provider could make improvements

Importantly the provider should:

  • Update training records so all training is correctly recorded and updated training can be arranged appropriately.
  • Check the understanding of chaperones so they stand in view of the patient during examinations.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice