Archived: Dr Paramundayil Joseph Also known as Dill Hall Surgery

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Paramundayil Joseph on 26 May 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.
• 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. However, we noted action was ongoing to embed a system for the retention of complaint records.
• 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.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

• Action had been taken to centralise practice management activity between Dr Paramundayil Joseph and the other practice operating from the same building. As a result learning from incidents and complaints was now shared through joint practice meetings.

However there were areas of practice where the provider should make improvements:

• Ensure the practice recruitment policy includes a requirement to confirm professional indemnity arrangements for nursing staff are in place in accordance with professional registration and legislative requirements.

• Clearly define the infection, prevention and control (IPC) lead role and responsibilities to enable the effective oversight and completion of IPC activity.

• Ensure comprehensive records of complaints are maintained to support learning and improvement.

• Ensure that the system in place to monitor expiry dates of medicines and associated items is effective.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice