MANCHESTER Road Medical Centre in Knutsford has received a ‘good’ rating from the care watchdog.

The centre provides services for just over 7,000 patients, and was visited by the Care Quality Commission on March 14.

The commission undertook an announced comprehensive inspection, and based its judgement of the quality of care at the centre on what it found and information from data monitoring, the centre, patients, the public and other organisations.

The CQC rated the practice as good overall, and good in terms of its services being safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

The CQC gives four ratings to health and social care services; outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate.

Good shows the service is performing well and meeting CQC expectations.

In her report on the centre, Dr Rosie Benneyworth, Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care, said: “We found that the practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.

“Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.

“Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.

“The practice organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs. Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.

“The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.

“Whilst we found no breaches of regulations, the provider should increase the number of carers identified to ensure these

patients are offered appropriate advice and support; monitor the uncollected prescriptions system to ensure it provides adequate safety netting for vulnerable patients; monitor how consent is sought and recorded; review how cleaning schedules are monitored and actions recorded and mental capacity act training should be provided to all clinical staff.”

97 per cent of the practice population is from a white background, and the level of deprivation in the practice population group is rated as nine on a scale of one to 10.

Level one represents the highest levels of deprivation and level 10 the lowest. Male life expectancy is 82 years, compared to the national average of 79 years, and female life expectancy is 85 years, compared to the national average of 83 years.

The majority of patients are in the five to 64 age group.