Archived: Dr Sarita Bhatia

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Sarita Bhatia on 10 September 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all 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, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. The majority of staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
• Medicines were not always managed safely, as the refrigerator temperature records for stored vaccines did not demonstrate that a full range of temperature checks had been undertaken.
• The practice was unable to demonstrate that they had suitable arrangements to deal with clinical and medical emergencies, as emergency equipment, such as medical oxygen, was not available in the practice.
• Data showed that many patient outcomes were above average for the locality and there was evidence that the Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) was used by the practice to monitor performance and drive improvement. Clinical audits had been used to improve outcomes for patients and re-audits were planned to monitor that improvements had been sustained.
• 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 the GP and that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice had a number of policies and procedures to govern activity, and these had been reviewed and updated on a regular basis.
• The practice had sought feedback from staff and patients in a variety of ways, and had plans to introduce a patient participation group (PPG).
• There were systems to identify risks, although formal risk assessments were not always completed, for example, in relation to the premises.

There were areas where the provider must make improvements. Importantly the provider must:

• Ensure recruitment arrangements include all necessary employment checks for all staff.
• Ensure medicines are managed safely, including the storage of vaccines.
• Ensure there are suitable arrangements to manage and deal with medical emergencies.

In addition the provider should:

• Review the training requirements for staff in keeping mandatory training updated.

• Review the arrangements for undertaking risk assessments, to include those that relate to the premises.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice