The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Archived: Dr Altafuddin Ahmed

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

576 Green Street, Plaistow, London, E13 9DA 0844 499 6992

Provided and run by:
Dr Altafuddin Ahmed

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

24 September 2015

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Altafuddin Ahmed (also known as Newham Medical Centre) on 24 September 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

We inspected this location in August 2014 as part as part of our new inspection programme to test our approach going forward. We did not rate the practice at that time but identified concerns regarding significant events reporting, staff recruitment and systems for actioning blood test results.

The inspection which took place on 24 September 2015 was therefore a comprehensive inspection to check whether the provider was now meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

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 the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • All the patients we spoke with told us said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect; although this did not align with patient survey results at practice or national level. The practice demonstrated how it had acted on survey results which were below CCG and national averages regarding dignity and respect shown by staff.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
  • Some patients fed back that it was difficult to get through to the practice by phone and to make an appointment. The practice demonstrated how it had acted on these concerns (for example by recruiting more administrative staff to answer the phones at peak times and by recruiting two salaried GPs).
  • 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:

  • Review national patient survey results on the extent to which tests and treatments were explained and the extent to which patients were involved in decisions about their care and treatment; and see where improvements can be made as these results were below local and national averages.

  • Review systems for ensuring that patients with a learning disability receive annual health reviews.

  • Undertake a review of performance on dementia related indicators given that this area was below CCG and national averages.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

06 August 2014

During a routine inspection

Dr Altafuddin Ahmed is a GP service located in the London Borough of Newham. This is the only location operated by this provider. Dr Altafuddin Ahmed is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to provide three regulated activities: treatment of disease, disorder or injury; family planning; and maternity and midwifery services at one location.

The regulated activity of diagnostic and screening procedures is also provided but Dr Altafuddin Ahmed is not registered to provide this. This is being followed up and we will report on any action when it is complete.

During our inspection visit which took place over one day, we spoke with three GPs, two practice nurses, one healthcare assistant, the practice and deputy practice managers and four administrative staff. We spoke with six patients and three members of the practice’s patient participation group (PPG). 

We liaised with the East London Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), NHS England and Healthwatch Newham.

Dr Altafuddin Ahmed provided a caring service. Although patients’ needs were suitably assessed and care and treatment was delivered in line with current legislation and best practice on a day to day basis, significant improvements were needed to ensure the practice was safe, effective, responsive and well-led in all aspects of the service.

Not all staff had received training in safeguarding vulnerable adults in line with the practices identified mandatory training.

Patients were not protected against unsafe recruitment practices. Although there was a formal recruitment policy and procedure in place for the recruitment of staff, this had not been implemented. The practice manager confirmed that the recruitment process identified in the recruitment procedure had not been followed for those staff most recently recruited. Where the practice had deemed a disclosure and barring service (DBS) check (formally known as a criminal record bureau (CRB) check) to be unnecessary for the role and responsibilities of a particular staff member, a risk assessment identifying and minimising any risks had not been undertaken.

Non-medical staff at the practice were offered appropriate day-to-day support and leadership from the practice manager but improvements were needed in clinical leadership to ensure the practice was both responsive and effective in the delivery of treatment following the receipt of requested tests, such as blood tests and review of a patient following hospital discharge. The practice did not have a strategic approach to the management and planning of the service so there was no shared vision or planned development of the staff team.