Kenilworth medical practice earns '˜outstanding' rating after inspection

Abbey Medical Centre in Station Road has been rated as '˜outstanding' after an inspection by the Care '¨Quality Commission.
Abbey Medical Centre in Station Road. Copyright: Google Street ViewAbbey Medical Centre in Station Road. Copyright: Google Street View
Abbey Medical Centre in Station Road. Copyright: Google Street View

Inspectors visited the centre in October last year, but their report was not published in full until Friday April 28.

In his summary at the start of the report, Professor Steve Field, the chief inspector of General Practice, rated the centre as ‘good’ in terms of its safety, care, and leadership, and ‘outstanding’ in its effectiveness and its responsiveness.

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This resulted in the overall ‘outstanding’ verdict, the highest possible rating a general practice can receive.

Staff at the centre were very happy with the CQC’s findings.

In a statement, centre staff said: “We are very pleased to announce that the CQC has rated our surgery outstanding. We are extremely proud that the CQC has awarded us with the highest rating and acknowledges our passion and dedication to our patients in Kenilworth.”

Prof Field’s summary commented positively on several aspects of the practice, including how well the staff were trained, the practice’s facilities, and the specialist skills of the GPs there which reduced the number of patient referrals.

He added: “We saw several areas of outstanding practice.

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“The practice had extended the building to provide four new consulting rooms, a large administration area and an enlarged and improved waiting room to cater for the future rise in the local population.

“The interior decoration for the building extension and the waiting room was decided after consultation with patients, staff and assistance from the Alzheimer’s Society.

“There were plans to refurbish the rest of the building by redecorating and re-flooring throughout to bring the entire building up to the same standards as the new extension.”

Additionally, inspectors assessed how well the centre looked after six key groups of patients: older people, people with long-term conditions, families and children, working-age people, vulnerable people, and people with poor mental health.

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The care for all six of these groups was rated as ‘outstanding’.

They found the centre had a higher number of older people registered with it due to the aging population in Kenilworth, and said the personalised care offered for older patients by the centre was particularly good.

Inspectors were also positive about the enhanced services provided for older people, such as for those with dementia, and its end of life care.

For children, inspectors praised the way staff were trained to identify possible cases of abuse, and the way children and young people were treated in an ‘age-appropriate way’.

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As well as looking at the centre itself, the inspectors also asked patients how they felt about the centre.

They said: “We received five comment cards from patients who all gave positive feedback about the standard of care they received.

“Patients were complimentary about the practice and commented that staff were patient, friendly and always made time for patients.

“They were positive about the service they received and told us they received very good care from the GPs and the nurses.”

Work to improve and expand the centre was completed in January, and it now features four new consulting rooms for patients.