CQC gives ‘Good’ ratings to Newtons Practice and Walstead Place Care Home in Haywards Heath following summer inspections

Newtons Practice at The Health Centre in Heath Road received ‘Good’ ratings for all key categories – Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led – while Walstead Place Care Home in Scaynes Hill Road received an ‘Outstanding’ for Well-led and ‘Good’ ratings for all other categories.

Walstead Place Care Home is a residential home for up to 45 people, and the unannounced inspection took place on July 28.

The CQC report said: “The registered manager and dedicated and enthusiastic staff demonstrated an excellent commitment to enabling people to live well and grow old with dignity.”

The report said the registered manager had developed ‘innovative and effective systems’ to promote people’s health and wellbeing, calling the service ‘inclusive, educational and empowering’.

It said care plans focused on people’s specific needs and the well-trained staff were protected from discrimination and abuse. Health and safety were also monitored, and staff always wore appropriate personal protective equipment.

Jacquie Ferguson, home manager at Walstead Place, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the results of our recent CQC report. The whole team has worked so hard to ensure the action plan dedicated to achieving this rating was enforced and that shows in this fantastic result.

“We would like to thank our care team, wider workforce and our residents and their families for their continued support and feedback. We will strive to continue to deliver a positive care service and one that has our residents at its heart.”

One relative of a resident also praised the home, saying: “I honestly can’t fault the home. My relative gets treated so well, she’s very happy and there are so many great activities.”

Visit www.caringhomes.org/find-a-home/walstead-place-in-haywards-heath to find out more.

The announced inspection of Newtons Practice took place on June 20.

The CQC report said it was carried out following ‘an outstanding breach of regulation in relation to which a warning notice was served following our last review’ (July 2021).

They said: “The provider had not ensured the proper and safe management of medicines. In particular, they had not ensured patients prescribed high risk medicines received blood tests in line with national clinical guidelines.”

The provider was also asked to improve the recording of authorisations on patient group directions (PGDs).

The recent report said: “The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm. For example, the practice had taken steps to ensure high risk medicines were monitored in accordance with national guidelines. Staff were supported by up-to-date PGDs.”

A Newtons spokesperson said: “Newtons is pleased and proud to have retained a CQC rating of ‘good’ following what have been a difficult couple of years working through both the pandemic and a national shortage of GPs.”

They added: “We are pleased that the CQC recognises our team’s hard work and the commitment given in order to make certain that our patients receive the best of medical care and attention, as this reflects our practice ethos.”

Visit www.newtonspractice.co.uk to find out more about the practice.