The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Windmill Surgery

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Longford Primary Care Centre, Longford Road, Coventry, West Midlands, CV6 6DR (024) 7664 6750

Provided and run by:
Windmill Surgery

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about Windmill Surgery on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.

This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.

If you have concerns about Windmill Surgery, you can give feedback on this service.

8 November 2019

During an annual regulatory review

We reviewed the information available to us about Windmill Surgery on 8 November 2019. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.

5 September 2017

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We previously carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Windmill Surgery on 7 November 2016. Overall the practice was rated as good overall, with the effective domain rated as requires improvement. The full comprehensive report on the November 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Windmill Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was a follow up focused inspection carried out on 5 September 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 7 November 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Effective is now rated as Good and overall the practice rating remains good.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • The practice had implemented an effective system to manage patients with long-term conditions ensuring that regular reviews were undertaken. We saw evidence that progress was regularly reviewed at clinical staff meetings.

  • The practice obtained written consent from patients when administering joint injections and recorded this with the patient’s notes.

  • A programme of internal audits to monitor safety and drive improvement within the practice had been introduced. They included implementation of clinical guidelines.

  • Patients on repeat medications received regular reviews.

  • The physical and mental health of all newly appointed staff had been considered to ensure they were suitable to carry out the requirements of the role. This included a medical checklist and appropriate changes to the Reasonable Adjustments Policy.

  • The practice had improved the management of alerts such as those from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) by ensuring it was noted when action did not need to be taken.

  • Infection prevention control audits were carried out in accordance with nationally recognised guidelines and completed every six months.

  • The practice had reviewed the systems for information sharing to consider how it could be more accessible. The practice had changed the way it stored internal documents to ensure information was easily available for staff and had briefed staff accordingly.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice

7 November 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice


We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Windmill Surgery on 7 November 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

  • There was an open and transparent approach to safety and a system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
  • Staff understood their responsibilities to raise concerns and to report incidents and near misses. The practice had a formal system in place for the on-going monitoring of significant events, incidents and accidents.
  • Arrangements were in place to ensure that risks to staff and patients were assessed and managed.
  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. However there was no systematic process to check that guidelines had been followed.
  • The practice had completed some administrative audits but there was no programme of clinical audits in place to monitor quality and make improvements.
  • The practice invested in staff development and training.
  • Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
  • Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
  • The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by the management.
  • The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
  • The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

There was an outstanding feature for the responsive care of people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. The provider was proactive and extensive in it’s care of vulnerable patients providing support beyond the services commissioned:

  • There was a system to allow rapid access to a GP for the most vulnerable patients.
  • The practice reception staff supported 29 patients from a travelling community with essential daily tasks made difficult by literacy problems.
  • The practice provided a hub for patients who had experienced domestic violence.

There were areas of practice where the provider must make improvements. The provider must ensure that audit and governance systems remain effective:

  • Implement an effective system to manage patients with long-term conditions ensuring that regular reviews are undertaken.
  • Ensure written consent is gained and kept in the patient’s notes when administering joint injections.
  • Implement a programme of internal audits that monitor safety and drives improvement within the practice. This should encompass the implementation of clinical guidelines.

There were areas of practice where the provider should make improvements:

  • Ensure all patients on repeat medications receive regular reviews.
  • Ensure that the physical and mental health of all newly appointed staff have been considered to ensure they are suitable to carry out the requirements of the role.
  • Improve the management of alerts such as those from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) by ensuring appropriate actions have been taken to minimise risk to patients and staff.
  • Ensure infection prevention control audits are carried out in accordance with nationally recognised guidelines.
  • Review the systems for information sharing to consider how it can be more accessible.


Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice