Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr RK Mathews on 7 September 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. There was a system in place for reporting and recording significant events. Risks to patients were assessed and managed, with the exception of those relating to recruitment checks.
• 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.
• Data showed patient outcomes were similar compared to the national average.
• Information about services and how to complain was available on the website and easy to understand. Some improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients said they found it easy 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 a number of policies and procedures to govern activity.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Ensure recruitment procedure and policy is followed and arrangements include all necessary employment checks for all staff.
• Record actions following the receipt of national safety alerts.
• Ensure significant events are recorded correctly.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Patients told us their privacy and dignity was respected by staff. They also said they were provided with information about treatment options to enable them to make informed choices. Comments included, “We get information. I had breast cancer and the doctor explained everything really well.”

Patients told us they were happy with the health care received by the service.

We found staff had received training in how to safeguard children and adults from the risk of harm and abuse.

We found the practice was clean and tidy and there were systems in place to prevent and control the spread of infection. Comments from patients included, “You always see hand washing and when they take bloods they wear gloves.”

We found medicines were managed appropriately although we found there was no protocol for the use of the oxygen cylinder, which was shared between the practices in the building.

Patients were complimentary about the staff team. Comments included, “The staff are quite helpful, there are no issues.”

We found there were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided to patients. This included checks and surveys to obtain patients views so that improvements could be made.