Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Brace Street Health Centre - Dr R Kumar & Dr J P Singh's Surgery on 14 June 2017. 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 a system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
- The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems to minimise risks to patient safety. These included safeguarding, infection prevention and control and medicines management.
- Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment.
- Results from the national GP patient survey showed patients were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
- Information about services and how to complain was available. Complaints were responded to in a timely way.
- Patients we spoke with said they found it easy to make an appointment and there was continuity of care. Urgent appointments were 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 the requirements of the duty of candour.
We saw one area of outstanding practice:
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Despite high levels of deprivation and an ethnically diverse population in which there is cultural reticence to participate in cervical screening the practice had achieved a high uptake for cervical screening (knowledge and engaged with the local community at a personal level to promote uptake. This has been achieved through persistent calling of eligible patients, where possible in their own language to discuss the importance of cervical screening and secure appointments.
The areas where the provider should make improvement are:
- Review business continuity plan to ensure it contains contact details for all staff so that they may easily be contacted in an emergency.
- Continue to review and take action to improve the uptake of national screening programmes for breast and bowel cancer.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice