The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

CH Medical

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Fields New Road Primary Care Centre, Chadderton, Oldham, Lancashire, OL9 8NH (0161) 785 924

Provided and run by:
CH Medical

All Inspections

15 December 2023

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced inspection at CH Medical on 15 December 2023. Overall, the practice is rated as Good with the following key question ratings:

Safe - Good

Effective - Good

Caring - Good

Responsive – Requires improvement

Well-led – Good

Following our previous inspection on 11 April 2016, the practice was rated good for all key questions.

Why we carried out this inspection

This was a full comprehensive inspection due to the length of time that had elapsed since the previous inspection.

How we carried out the inspection

This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site. This included:

  • Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing.
  • Completing clinical searches on the practice's patient records system (this was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements).
  • Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider.
  • Requesting evidence from the provider.
  • A short site visit.

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 and for all key questions.

We found that:

  • 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.
  • Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
  • The results of the most recent General Practice Patient Survey highlighted areas for improvement around access to services.
  • The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care.

Although we found no breaches of regulations the provider should:

  • Improve access to services.
  • Take steps to improve the uptake of cervical screening and childhood immunisations.

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

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

Chief Inspector of Health Care

15/04/2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at CH Medical on 15 April 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.
  • 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. 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 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 two areas of outstanding practice:

  • The practice employed a practice nurse with specialist responsibility for older patients. They had supported them to gain a master’s degree in gerontology. The nurse carried out annual health checks for the over 70s and the continuity of care, therefore identifying changes to health at an early stage. They looked holistically at physical, psychological and social health and had the relevant links in the community to refer patients to other services.They also took the lead on dementia and had excellent links to the memory clinic.

  • Most of the patients at a nearby 146 bedded nursing home were registered with the practice. A dedicated GP visited the home for a morning one day each week to provide continuity of care and be available if relatives wanted to speak with them.

The area where the provider should make improvement is:

  • Although we saw an example of a two cycle audit the provider should put a system in place so that audits requiring a second cycle are identified and improvements made are monitored.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice