Archived: Dr Tariq Rahman Also known as Cecil Square Surgery

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of Dr Tariq Rahman (also known as Cecil Square Surgery) on 5 February 2015. Overall the practice is rated as requires improvement.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing effective and caring services. It required improvement for providing safe, responsive and well-led services which has led to this rating being applied to all patient population groups; older people, people with long-term conditions, families, children and young people, working age people (including those recently retired and students), people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable and people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia).

Our key findings 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.
• Not all risks to patients were assessed and well managed. For example, the practice was unable to demonstrate that risk assessments had been carried out in order to identify infection control risks and implement plans to reduce them where possible.
• Patients' needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered in line with current legislation. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in decisions about their care and treatment. Information to help patients understand the services available was easy to understand. Staff treated patients with kindness and respect, and maintained confidentiality.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day. However, the practice did not provide an on-line booking service for appointments or repeat prescriptions.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

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

Importantly the provider must;

• Review its infection control management to ensure all areas of the practice are clean and comply with national infection control guidance.
• Review its risk assessment activity to include infection control
• Ensure it is equipped to deal adequately with medical emergencies before the arrival of an ambulance.
• Revise its governance processes and ensure that all documents used to govern activity are up to date and contain contact details of relevant external organisations.

The provider should also;

• Review guidance available to staff in the management of patient consent as well as equality and diversity
• The provider should ensure all relevant staff have up to date knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
• Review information about the practice and ensure it is readily available to all patients when they need to access it.
• Review its process for recording complaints processes as well as feedback given to staff on outcomes from serious untoward incident investigations and results of clinical audit activity.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice