Archived: Dr Berk Private GP Surgery

We were also concerned that there were deficiencies in the implementation of policies and procedures to assess and monitor the quality of service provided. For example, we found that fire safety inspection documents were out of date and that there was no current fire inspection certificate. Patient questionnaires were only provided in English, whereas the majority of the patient population's first language was Turkish.

We asked the provider to take action.

At the follow up inspection we were provided with up to date fire safety documents including a current fire safety certificate. We were also provided with an infection control policy which detailed the procedure for the cleaning of the premises and viewed up to date cleaning schedules. We noted that the latest patient survey dated January 2014 was made available in both English and Turkish.

Most of the people using the service do not speak English. Many are Turkish and come to the surgery because Dr Berk is a fluent Turkish speaker. The people we spoke to on our visit were very satisfied with the service they received. One person told us 'The practice is well known in our community. My mother comes here because she can speak to the doctor in her own language.' Another person said 'The doctor here has a good reputation. The treatment here is good. He (the doctor) knows what needs to be done.'

There was good information available for people about the service and the range of conditions that people could consult the doctor about although very little written information was available in Turkish at the time of our visit.

The premises were clean and well maintained. However it was not clear how regulations requiring infection control processes were being met.

Staff providing treatment and care were appropriately qualified and up to date with current research and best practice.

The practice did not obtain feedback from people to inform its development although treatment outcomes were considered against those of other providers. Mechanisms for checking that policies and process to ensure safety and service quality were implemented needed to be strengthened.