Archived: Westcotes Health Centre

This service is rated as Good overall.

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive focused inspection at Westcotes Health Centre on 4 March 2020. The inspection was part of our inspection programme. The service had not been previously inspected.

At this inspection we found:

• The service had good systems to ensure patients received safe and effective care and treatment.
• There was an effective system to identify and help safeguard people from abuse.
• The service routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence-based guidelines.
• Staff involved and treated people with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Patients were able to access care and treatment from the service within an appropriate timescale for their needs.
• The joint users of premises and NHS Property Services did not always liaise effectively or give the necessary assurances regarding premises despite the best efforts of the provider.
• Although patient feedback gathered by the provider was positive, it represented a very small percentage of patient contacts and was conducted using only the Family and Friends test which did not provide either qualitative or quantitive feedback which the provider would be able to consider and use to improve services.
• Feedback we received through CQC comment cards demonstrated a high level of patient satisfaction with the service provided.
• There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.
• Staff expressed positive views on the service and managers.
• The governance structure provided essential oversight of performance and clinical effectiveness.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Improve their process and systems for monitoring service level agreements and joint working arrangements with other healthcare providers where DHU used facilities used by another. This included health and safety and risk assessments on environmental matters.
• Undertake a review of their process of chaperoning at sites where the sole receptionist was required to perform the duty to ensure it posed no risk to either waiting patients or security.
• Implement an effective system to gather feedback on their services from patients and carers.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care