Dr Harjit Singh Also known as Granville Medical Centre

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Harjit Singh on 12 January 2017. The overall rating for the practice was good. Within that overall rating the practice was rated as requires improvement for providing responsive services. This was because we had concerns that the practice had not addressed the issues highlighted in the national GP survey in order to improve patient satisfaction and in particular, in respect of patient access. We also told the practice it should establish an active patient participation group for the benefit of patient interaction, improvement recommendations and feedback and should provide health and safety training for staff who had not yet been trained.

The full comprehensive report on the January 2017 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘reports’ link for Dr Harjit Singh on our website at www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-506457724.

This inspection was a desk-based review carried out on 26 September 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 12 January 2017. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is still rated as good overall and the rating for responsive has now moved to good also.

Our key findings were as follows:

• The practice had increased the opening hours at the surgery by a total of 16 hours per week and was now open every week day between 8am and 6:30pm.
• The practice had taken action to improve access by telephone. They had put an additional line in place for incoming calls as well as a telephone queue management system and had increased the number of staff available to answer telephone calls.
• The practice was now providing two additional GP clinical sessions and one additional nurse clinical session every week.
• The practice had employed a part-time healthcare assistant and was now providing phlebotomy services at the surgery.
• The practice had re-established its patient participation group and the group had been instrumental in securing the installation of a dedicated disabled parking bay at the surgery.
• The practice provided evidence which demonstrated that all staff had now received health and safety training.

However, there was an area where the provider still needs to make an improvement:

• The practice should continue to monitor patient satisfaction levels with a view to bringing about improvements.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr H Singh (Granville Medical Centre) on 12 January 2017. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• Results of the national GP patient survey showed that the practice was performing below the local and national average in several areas.
• Patients said they did not always find it easy to make an appointment with a named GP but there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice was offering extended hours appointments on one Saturday each month.
• Risks to patients were assessed and managed.
• The practice was carrying out annual infection prevention and control audits.
• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• 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 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. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• 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.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

• Ensure that it addresses the issues highlighted in the national GP survey in order to improve patient satisfaction, including in respect of patient access.

In addition, it should:

• Establish an active patient participation group for the benefit of patient interaction, improvement recommendations and feedback.

• Provide health and safety training for staff who have not yet been trained.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice