Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Alum Rock Medical Centre on 11 July 2017.

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

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded. Significant events were investigated, acted on when necessary and learning shared with staff.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. There were safe systems for prescribing medicines.

• Staffing levels were monitored to ensure they reflected patients’ needs. Effective staff recruitment procedures ensured that only suitable staff were employed.

• The practice worked closely with other health and social care organisations and with the local community in planning how services were provided to ensure that they met patients’ needs. For example, in conjunction with a visiting health trainer and the practice nurse they were providing a 10 week course on dietary needs for safe fasting during Ramadan and the importance of exercising.

• Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment and any further training had been identified and planned.

• We observed that patients were treated with compassion, dignity and respect.

• Previous data published showed that patient satisfaction in respect of care and access to the service were rated mostly in line with the local and national averages. An action plan had been developed to address results that were below average. Current data showed that improvements had been achieved but that further work was needed in a few areas.

• Information about how to make a complaint was readily available and easy to understand. Complaints were dealt with in a timely appropriate way.

• There was a clear leadership structure and staff told us they felt well supported by senior staff. Management sought feedback from patients and staff, which it acted on. The governance system monitored the quality of care and the overall performance across the practice.

We saw an area of outstanding practice:

• Patients 40 – 70 years of age were offered NHS health checks. Clinical staff also carried out health checks of patients aged between 16 and 39 years of age, 57% of patients within this age range had been screened for diabetes. Following the inspection, the practice advised that due to this intervention 65 patients in this age range had been identified as diabetic and 62 patients identified as pre-diabetic leading to early treatment and health promotion. 

However, there was an area of practice where the provider needs to make an improvement.

The provider should:

• Continue to make improvements for the national patient survey results that remained below local and national averages and carry out a review and develop an action plan regarding telephone access for patients.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice