Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Nalliah Sivananthan on 23 November 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.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.

• 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.
• The practice had a Health Officer who helped patients whose first language is not English have access to healthcare.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• This practice offered its older patients extended access to the practice via an emergency hotline number.
• 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.
• Patients said they able to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments 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 and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

• The practice had three different Patient Participation Groups (PPG) which reflected the diverse patient list. One group caters for Turkish speaking patients, the second group for Tamil speaking patients and the third for all other patients. The three groups met regularly as individual groups and together as a whole group to discuss relevant issues.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Ensure that all members of staff receive fire training.
• Review how patients with caring responsibilities are identified and recorded on the clinical system to ensure information, advice and support is available to them.
• Ensure there are written policies in place to provide guidance on the monitoring of patients on high-risk medicines who are under the care of both the practice and hospital.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice