Archived: Dr Linda Kandola Also known as The Gamston Medical Centre

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Linda Kandola also known as The Gamston Medical Centre on 15 March 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. Learning outcomes were shared with staff.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. Health and safety precautions had been taken which included checking that equipment was fully working and safe to use and infection prevention control measures were in place.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Clinical audit drove quality improvement. Staff had 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. Patient feedback which included the National GP Patient Survey rated the care provided highly.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. All staff we spoke with knew the procedure in place for addressing patient complaints.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment, although not always with a named GP. The practice was seeking to recruit an additional salaried GP to respond to patient demand. 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 areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Ensure that evidence of staff identification is obtained and held on personnel files during recruitment.

• Review their process and recording procedure for exception reporting, in particular areas of QOF achievement, such as mental health and heart failure indicators.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice