Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Rashpal Dosanj (known locally as Bredon Avenue Surgery) on 19 October 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led services.

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

• 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. The practice had a particular interest in helping patients who were vulnerable or had poor mental health.

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.

• 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 addressed patient concerns about availability of appointments.

• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. There had been extensive refurbishment to a high standard over the last three years and new equipment had been purchased.

• 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

On the day of our inspection we spoke with seven patients, one doctor (who was also the registered manager) and five members of staff.

Patients were satisfied with the appointment system and when necessary were given an appointment on the same day. Patients told us they were usually able to get through to the surgery on the telephone easily and said reception staff were always friendly and helpful. One patient told us: “I can usually get an appointment when I need one.”

We saw that patients’ views and experiences were taken into account in the way the service was provided and that they were treated with dignity and respect. When patients received care or treatment they were asked for their consent and their wishes were listened to.

The practice was clean and well organised. Processes were in place to minimise the risk of infection. There were also processes in place for monitoring the quality of service provision. There was an established system for regularly obtaining opinions from patients about the standard of the service they received.

There was a complaints procedure in place and although none of the patients we spoke with had needed to complain, they knew how to do so. One patient told us: “I’ve been a patient here for over fifty years and have never had any problems.”