Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr A Bisarya on 22 June 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. Significant events were investigated thoroughly and learning effectively implemented as a result.
• 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 were overwhelmingly positive about their experiences at the practice and said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect. They felt 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 very 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 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.

We saw areas of outstanding practice:

• The practice was proactive in liaising with secondary care providers in order to improve clinical communication channels and improve patient care. Evidence confirmed that changes had been made by local NHS Trusts to improve systems around feeding back results to local GP practices as a direct result. This meant that GPs received results in a more timely manner with more accurate information, resulting in patients being able to access the most appropriate treatment more quickly.

• Two dieticians attended the practice each month to run clinics for the practice’s patients, one of whom was a specialist dietician for patients with diabetes.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Ensure second cycle audits are completed in order to monitor changes and make sure improvements are maintained.

• The practice should continue with its efforts to establish a patient participation group.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice