We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Boulevard Medical Centre in May 2017. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement.

The full reports from the previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Boulevard Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was a comprehensive inspection with a site visit undertaken on 22 February 2018. The Boulevard Medical Centre is one of four locations of the provider ‘The Beechdale Medical Group’, All four locations were inspected between 22 February 2018 and 7 March 2018. The overall rating for this location is good.

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

As part of our inspection process, we also look at the quality of care for specific population groups. The population groups are rated as:

Older People – Good

People with long-term conditions – Good

Families, children and young people – Good

Working age people (including those recently retired and students – Good

People whose circumstances may make them vulnerable – Good

People experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia) - Good

Our key findings were as follows:

• The practice had implemented clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. Where incidents occurred, the practice used these are opportunities for learning and reviewed their processes. Effective recording systems had been introduced to ensure significant events and incidents were monitored and reviewed.
• Arrangements to respond to emergencies had been significantly improved; arrangements had been standardised across the practice group.
• Regular risk assessments were undertaken including risk assessments in respect of fire and health and safety issues.
• The practice 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 were supported to access the training required to fulfil their roles and received regular appraisals. Arrangements for the support and supervision of nursing staff had been strengthened.
• Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they were able to access care when they needed it.
• Leadership arrangements had been reviewed and improved across the practice group; this included the recruitment of a new business manager to provide strategic and operational leadership.

However, there were also areas of practice where the provider should make improvements.

The provider should:

• Continue to improve the use of the clinical system to ensure all tasks are managed appropriately

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice