This practice is rated as Good overall. (Previous inspection – 18 March 2015: Rating Good)

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? - Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Balham Park Surgery on 5 February 2019 as part of our inspection programme.

At this inspection we found:

• The practice had clear systems to manage risks to patients and staff. When incidents occurred, the practice learned from them and improved their processes.
• The practice proactively monitored the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided to ensure treatment was appropriate.
• Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they could access care when they needed it.
• The practice continuously reviewed the needs of its patient population and adapted processes to improve services for its population.

We found area of outstanding practice:

• The practice offered every complainant a survey to gain insight into their experience of making a complaint and receiving a response. Complainants were also invited to join the patient liaison group to provide additional feedback and patient perspective.

There were areas where the provider should consider making improvements:

• Review recall and monitoring processes regarding follow up care actions as part of existing clinical governance and assurance systems. This should include diabetes, child immunisations, cervical screening and medication reviews.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGPChief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Balham Park Surgery on 18 March 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, effective, responsive caring services. and well-led. It was good at providing services for all the population groups including older people; people with long term conditions; mothers, babies, children and young people; the working age populations and those recently retired; people in vulnerable circumstances and people experiencing poor mental health. It was good for providing safe and caring services.

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

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. All opportunities for learning from internal and external incidents were maximised. Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.

• The practice used innovative and proactive methods to improve patient outcomes, working with other local providers to share best practice. Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.

• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment. Information was provided to help patients understand the care available to them.

• The practice implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a consequence of feedback from patients and from the Patient Participation Group (PPG).

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. Information about how to complain was available and easy to understand.

• The practice had a clear vision which had quality and safety as its top priority. A business plan was in place, was monitored and regularly reviewed and discussed with all staff. High standards were promoted and owned by all practice staff with evidence of team working across all roles. 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.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice