Updated 13 January 2025
Date of Assessment: 14 January 2025 to 11 February 2025. Iridium Medical Practice is a GP practice and delivers services to approximately 22,000 patients under a contract held with NHS England. The practice has a branch practice at Poolway Medical Centre. According to the latest available data, the ethnic make-up of the practice area is 41% Asian, 42% White, 8% Black, 5% mixed and 5% other. Information published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that deprivation within the practice population group is in the 1st decile (1 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the practice population is relative to others.
We carried out an unannounced comprehensive assessment of all 5 key questions to assess the quality of services being delivered, following concerns we had received.
We found the facilities were clean and well-maintained and most risks were mitigated. However, staff did not always understand which incidents to report or demonstrate that learning was embedded. Medicines management processes required improvement.
Care was not always based on latest evidence and good practice and the provider could not evidence that decisions about care and treatment were always made with patients.
Staff protected patients’ privacy; however, patients and other healthcare professionals were not always treated with kindness and the service did not always support staff wellbeing.
The provider worked to reduce health and care inequalities. Generally, patients found it easy to access the service, however, patients did not always feel supported to complain.
Leaders and staff did not have a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, however not all staff felt they would be supported if they raised concerns.
We found breaches of regulation in relation to good governance. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.