Care at a medical centre in the West Midlands has been rated as outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The CQC’s inspectors praised the Arden Medical Centre in Knowle, Solihull, for its proactive approach to understanding the needs of different patients, including people with poor mental health, including dementia.
The CQC inspection noted that the practice carried out opportunistic screening for dementia at flu clinics.
It also worked with a psychiatrist with a specialism in learning disabilities to introduce a memory screening assessment to spot problems with memory and potential dementia for their patients with a learning disability, so they could be given more support.
The practice was ranked as outstanding in offering caring, responsive and well-led services and good in the safe and effective categories of the inspection.
Care was described as outstanding for specific services for older and younger patients, people with long-term conditions, vulnerable patients and those with mental health problems and people of working age.
The inspection followed a visit to the practice in January and Professor Steve field said: “We noticed a strong theme of positive feedback from staff, patients and other organisations who worked with the practice. Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.”
The CQC said the practice managed and assessed risks to patients as well.
Inspectors also praised “consistently high levels of constructive staff engagement”, celebration of innovation and hard work and the practice’s use of innovative and proactive methods of improving patient outcomes.
The practice also had “an effective programme of continuous clinical and internal audits,” which demonstrated improvements to patient care and quality improvement and staff were actively involved in monitoring progress.
Inspectors highlighted outstanding practice in involving other organisations and the community to plan services that met patients’ needs.
An in-house dermatology nurse offered services such as cryotherapy twice a month. The practice also hosted consultant ear nose and throat (ENT) clinics with an ENT consultant working with the practice every other week.
