Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Sharma on 23 February 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance.
• Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• The practice had a programme of continuous clinical and internal audit in order to monitor quality and make improvements. All staff were encouraged to carry out individual audits.
• Feedback from patients about their care was consistently positive.
• Written information for patients on how to complain was not available at the surgery.
• 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 the 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.

There was one area where the provider should make improvements:

• Ensure that patients have easy access to information about how they can make a complaint.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice