Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Ranweer Baldevdutt Silhi (also known as Upper Canterbury Street Surgery) on 25 November 2014. During the inspection we spoke with patients, interviewed staff of all levels and checked the right systems and processes were in place. Overall the practice was is rated as good.

This is because we found the practice to be good for providing effective, caring, responsive and well led services. It was also good for providing services for older people, people with long-term conditions, families, children and young people, working age people (including those recently retired and students), people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable and people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). It required improvement for providing safe and well-led services.

Our Key findings were as follows:

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, but no analysis had been carried out. However, the practice could not demonstrate that any learning had occurred from significant events and incidents.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed
• 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 about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that 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 sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on. Some audits had been carried out. However, there was little evidence that audits were driving improvement in performance to improve patient outcomes

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice