Haverhill GP practice that 'required improvement' in 2020 now rated 'good' by Care Quality Commission

A GP practice in Haverhill that was put in special measures less than four years ago has had its rating upgraded to ‘good’ by a healthcare watchdog.

Unity Healthcare in Haverhill, formerly known as Christmas Maltings & Clements, received the new grading after being inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The practice, which is managed by Suffolk GP Federation, was rated inadequate and placed in special measures in January 2019 and was rated requires improvement in 2020.

Following the recent re-inspection of the surgery, the CQC rated it good in all categories.

Dr David Brandon, clinical lead, for the practice said: “The team is absolutely thrilled to be now rated good.

“We have all worked so hard and its great this has now been recognised. Haverhill now has its two GP practices both rated as good which is superb for the town.

“I particularly would like to thank our service manager, Laura Lyons, whose hard work and determination was crucial for getting the practice to its current position.”

Madeleine Finn, chair of the Unity Patient Participation Group said: “This is very uplifting news for the surgery, the staff and our Haverhill community.”

Inspectors found that the key areas for the practice, which the report said has a patient population of about 17,630, were all 'good', namely that it was: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

The report said that: "Patients’ immediate and ongoing needs were fully assessed. This included their clinical needs and their mental and physical wellbeing.

"Patients presenting with symptoms which could indicate serious illness were followed up in a timely and appropriate way."

It added: "There were appropriate referral pathways to make sure that patients’ needs were addressed.

"Patients were told when they needed to seek further help and what to do if their condition deteriorated."

In the summary, the report also said: "Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.

"The practice respected patients’ privacy and dignity and patient confidentiality was maintained throughout the practice.

"The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care, however, some continued work was required to implement consistency in patient monitoring."