The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Dr Anjum Zaidi and Partners Also known as The Northwick Surgery

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

36 Northwick Park Road, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 2NU (020) 8515 1300

Provided and run by:
Dr Anjum Zaidi and Partners

All Inspections

18 July 2023

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out an announced focused inspection at Dr Anjum Zaidi and Partners (also known as The Northwick Surgery) on 18 July 2023. Overall, the practice is rated as Good.

Safe - Good

Effective - not inspected, rating of good carried forward from previous inspection.

Caring - not inspected, rating of good carried forward from previous inspection.

Responsive - not inspected, rating of good carried forward from previous inspection.

Well-led - not inspected, rating of good carried forward from previous inspection.

Following our previous inspection on 26 August 2021, the practice was rated good overall and for the effective, caring, responsive and well-led key questions but requires improvement for providing safe services.

The full reports for previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Dr Anjum Zaidi and Partners on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Why we carried out this inspection

We carried out this focused inspection to follow up on:

  • The safe key question.
  • A breach of Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment).
  • Any other issues identified at the last inspection.

How we carried out the inspection

  • Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing.
  • Completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system (this was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements).
  • Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider.
  • Requesting evidence from the provider.

Our findings

We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:

  • what we found when we inspected
  • information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
  • information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

We found that:

  • Since our last inspection, the provider had improved the systems and processes to keep people safe. In particular, in relation to the monitoring and prescribing of high risk medicines and the systems for acting on safety alerts.
  • The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
  • Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
  • The provider continued to monitor uptake rates for childhood immunisations and cervical screening.

Whilst we found no breaches of regulations, the provider should:

  • Formally review the prescribing competence for the advanced nurse practitioner.
  • Implement a system to manage patients who do not respond to requests for monitoring.
  • Continue to improve the systems and processes to increase childhood immunisations and cervical screening uptake.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

Chief Inspector of Health Care

26 August 2021

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out an announced inspection at Dr Anjum Zaidi and Partners, also known as The Northwick Surgery, on 26 August 2021. Overall, the practice is rated as Good.

Safe – Requires improvement

Effective - Good

Well-led - Good

Following our previous inspection on 21 November 2019, the practice was rated Requires Improvement overall and for the Safe and Well-led key questions and for one population group (Working age people). The practice was rated good for the Effective, Caring and Responsive key questions and for the remaining five population groups (Older people; People with long-term conditions; Families, children and young people; People whose circumstances may make them vulnerable; and People experiencing poor mental health).

The full reports for previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Dr Anjum Zaidi and Partners on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Why we carried out this inspection

This inspection was a focused inspection to follow up on:

  • The Safe, Effective and Well-led key questions
  • Requirement notices for Regulation 12 and 17, and any other issues identified at the last inspection
  • Ratings carried forward from previous inspection for the Caring and Responsive key questions.

How we carried out the inspection

Throughout the pandemic CQC has continued to regulate and respond to risk. However, taking into account the circumstances arising as a result of the pandemic, and in order to reduce risk, we have conducted our inspections differently.

This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site. This was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements.

This included:

  • Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing
  • Completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system and discussing findings with the provider
  • Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider
  • Requesting evidence from the provider
  • A short site visit

Our findings

We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:

  • what we found when we inspected
  • information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
  • information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

We have rated this practice as Good overall and for the Effective and Well-led key questions and five population groups (Older people; People with long-term conditions; Families, children and young people; People whose circumstances may make them vulnerable; and People experiencing poor mental health). We have rated the practice Requires Improvement for the Safe key question and working people population group.

We found that:

  • Since our last inspection, there were improvements in the systems, practices and processes to keep people safe and safeguarded from abuse. Appropriate standards of cleanliness and hygiene were now met and the practice had an effective system to learn and make improvements when things went wrong.
  • However, we found new concerns in relation to the monitoring and prescribing of some high-risk medicines and the systems for acting on safety alerts was not effective.
  • Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
  • The practice adjusted how it delivered services to meet the needs of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.

We found a breach of regulations. The provider must:

  • Ensure that care and treatment is provided in a safe way.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

  • Maintain completed vaccination records for all staff.
  • Continue work to improve the systems and processes to increase childhood immunisations and cervical screening uptake.
  • Review staff understanding of identifying a deteriorating or acutely unwell patient and the practice’s vision and values.
  • Formalise the review of prescribing practice for non-medical prescribers.
  • Review care home feedback in relation to telephone access to the practice.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care

21 November 2019

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Anjum Zaidi and Partners on 21 November 2019 as part of our inspection programme. At this inspection we followed up on breaches of regulations identified at a previous inspection on 18 September 2018.

We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:

  • what we found when we inspected
  • information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
  • information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

We have rated this practice as requires improvement overall.

We rated the practice as requires improvement for providing safe services because:

  • The practice did not have clear systems and processes to keep patients safe.
  • Appropriate standards of cleanliness and hygiene were not all met.
  • The practice did not always have systems for the appropriate and safe use of medicines.
  • The practice did not have an effective system to learn and make improvements when things went wrong.

We rated the practice as requires improvement for providing well-led services because:

  • Effective monitoring was required to demonstrate leaders understood the challenges to quality and sustainability at all levels.

  • Effective monitoring was required to demonstrate leaders understood the challenges to quality at all levels.

  • The overall governance arrangements were ineffective.

  • The practice did not have clear and effective processes for managing risks, issues and performance.

We rated the practice as good for all population groups except for the Working Age population group which was rated requires improvement because:

  • The performance for cervical screening was significantly below national average.

We rated the practice as good for providing effective, caring and responsive services because:

  • Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
  • The practice organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs.
  • Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.

We saw an area of notable practice. Following identification of a patient with an infectious disease, the practice acted to ensure all patients living at the residence received the disease specific vaccine. This resulted in 29 patients receiving the vaccination and a referral to the infectious diseases team.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

  • Ensure that care and treatment is provided in a safe way.
  • Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

(Please see the specific details on action required at the end of this report).

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

  • Monitor and improve on childhood immunisation uptake.
  • Review the whistleblowing policy to ensure it is in line with the NHS Improvement Raising Concerns (Whistleblowing) Policy.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care

18 September 2018

During a routine inspection

This practice is rated as requires improvement overall. (Previous rating April 2016 – Good)

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Requires Improvement

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Requires Improvement

Are services well-led? – Requires Improvement

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Anjum Zaidi and Partners on 18 September 2018 as part of our inspection programme.

At this inspection we found:

  • The practice had ineffective systems to manage risk. This included safeguarding processes, safety alerts, recruitment, infection control, two-week wait referrals, staff vaccinations, medicines, fire safety and significant events.
  • Systems had not been implemented effectively to ensure that all health and safety risk assessments were completed.
  • Care and treatment was delivered according to evidence-based guidelines.
  • Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
  • Patients did not always find the appointment system easy to use and reported that they were not always able to access care when they needed it.

The areas where the provider must make improvements as they are in breach of regulations are:

  • Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way for patients.
  • Establish effective systems to and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.
  • Ensure staff employed receive such appropriate support, training, professional development, supervision and appraisal as is necessary to enable them to carry out the duties they are employed to perform.
  • Ensure recruitment procedures are established and operated effectively.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

  • Continue to monitor and improve on patient satisfaction scores with reception staff and healthcare professionals.
  • Improve the uptake of cervical screening.
  • Improve on the identification and support of carers.
  • Take action to ensure confidentiality at the reception desk.  
  • Improve staff awareness of Female Genitalia Mutilation (FGM)

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice

25 November 2015

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Fergus McCloghry and Partners on 25 November 2015. 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.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
  • 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.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
  • 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.

  • Patients commented on difficulty with accessing appointments. This was reflected in patient survey data about accessibility to appointments.

  • 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 should make improvement are:

  • Ensure staff undertake regular fire drill practice.

  • Ensure appropriate electrical testing and checks are carried out to ensure all equipment is safe to use.

  • Ensure that all staff have a completed appraisal in line with practice policy.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice