Archived: Dr D Pal & Dr M Pal Also known as The Surgery

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We undertook this focused inspection of Dr D Pal & Dr M Pal on 1 December 2016 for one area within the key question safe.

We found the practice to be good in providing safe services. Overall, the practice is rated as good.

The practice was previously inspected on 4 February 2016. The inspection was a comprehensive inspection under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. At that inspection, the practice was rated good overall. However, within the key question safe, overview of safety systems and processes was identified as requires improvement, as the practice was not meeting the legislation at that time; Regulation 12 Health & Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Safe care and treatment.

• The registered person did not ensure recruitment arrangements include all necessary employment checks for all staff were in place that included taking up references and completing disclosure and barring service checks, in particular for staff who were already undertaking chaperoning duties.

On this inspection we reviewed a range of documents which demonstrated they were now meeting the requirements of Regulation 12 Health & Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Safe care and treatment.

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 D Pal & Dr M Pal on 4 February 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 a 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. However staff had been undertaking chaperone duties but did not have chaperone training, and a disclosure and barring service (DBS) check or risk assessment in place.
• 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 GP 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 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.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

• The practice worked with the community link worker (CLW). The CLW took referrals for patients who need extra help, but not necessarily medical help.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly the provider must:

• Ensure that chaperone training and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check or risk assessment is in place for staff who carry out the role of a chaperone.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice