Archived: Dr Anna Ungaro

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Anna Ungaro’s practice. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing well-led, safe, effective, caring and responsive services. It was also good for providing services for the six population groups.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected 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.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. 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 their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• Most 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.
• 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.

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

Importantly the provider should:

• Introduce a system so blank prescription forms are tracked through the practice and kept securely

• Assess the risk of liquid spillage to the carpeted area around the hand washing sink in GP consultation rooms and take appropriate action

• Take action to ensure the water temperature of the hot tap in GP consultation rooms is such that hand washing under running water can be done without the risk of a scald
• Identify areas where liquid nitrogen and oxygen are stored and mark them with 'hazardous substance' notices
• Review the above the CCG average referral rates to hospital and other community care services
• Identify repeat audit dates so at least two cycles of a clinical audit can be demonstrated
• Consider options in the reception area so a patient whose circumstances may make them vulnerable can discuss their needs in private with the receptionist or other appropriate clinicians
• Consider options so patients in wheelchairs could communicate with the receptionist without being overheard

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice