We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Alperton Medical Centre on 14 March 2019 as part of our inspection programme.

We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:

• what we found when we inspected
• information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
• information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

We have rated this practice as good overall and good for all population groups.

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.
• The practice organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs. Patients could usually access care and treatment in a timely way.
• The practice was responsive to the needs of bereaved families and this was observed during inspection.
• The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.

We rated this practice as requires improvement for providing caring services because:

• Patient did not always feel that they were treated with kindness, or involved in decisions about their care and treatment. Patient satisfaction scores relating to their care and treatment were below local and national averages. There was limited evidence to show what action the practice had taken to improve how patients felt about their care and treatment.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

• Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

(Please see the specific details on action required at the end of this report).

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Monitor that all recommended actions from the audits and risk assessments are carried out.
• Review classification of significant events to ensure that all are captured.
• Monitor that all Patient Group Directions (PGDs) are signed in a timely manner.
• Develop a system to ensure that all relevant staff have read patient safety alerts.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Alperton Medical Centre on 13 April 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 an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• 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 we spoke with said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there were 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 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.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice