Archived: Dr V Chawla's practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of Dr V Chawla's practice on 30 March 2016. During that inspection we found that the practice had not followed effective recruitment procedures, in regards to obtaining a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for two clinical members of staff prior to them working at the surgery. 

Overall the practice was rated as good with are services safe requiring improvement in view of the above.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Dr V Chawla's practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

After the comprehensive inspection, the practice told us what action they had taken to meet the legal requirement in relation to the breach.

We undertook a desk based review on 28 November 2016 to check that the provider had completed the required action. We did not visit the practice as part of this inspection. This report covers our findings in relation to the requirement.

This inspection found that the provider had taken appropriate action to meet the legal requirement.

• Effective recruitment procedures were followed. Required checks were obtained prior to new staff working at the practice, to ensure they were suitable to carry out their work. 
• We received assurances that a DBS check was obtained for relevant clinical staff immediately following the comprehensive inspection.

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 V Chawla’s Practice on 30 March 2016. 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 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 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.

• The practice used clinical audits to review patient care and took action to improve services as a result.
• Feedback from patients about their care was consistently positive.
• Information about services and how to complain was available. The practice sought patients’ views about improvements that could be made to the service directly and through an active patient participation group.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, patients were complimentary of the open appointment system in place every morning.
• 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 practice planned and co-ordinated patient care with the wider multi-disciplinary team to plan and deliver effective and responsive care to keep vulnerable patients safe, particularly the end of life care patients.
• The practice had a well led and active Patient Participation Group (PPG) and worked with them to review and improve services for patients.

The areas the provider must make improvements are:

• Put in place effective recruitment procedures to ensure staff have the required background checks prior to employment in accordance with practice policy.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Review systems in place to carry out staff appraisals in accordance with practice policy to ensure opportunities for development and training are highlighted.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice