Dr Iqbal and Partners Also known as Abernethy House Surgery

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of Dr Iqbal and Partners on 12 January 2017. 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.

• When things went wrong patients received reasonable support, truthful information, and a written apology. They were told about any actions to improve processes to prevent the same thing happening again.
• 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.

• Data from the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) showed patient outcomes were at or above average compared to the national average.

• The practice carried out clinical audits demonstrated quality monitoring and improvement

• Staff worked with other health care professionals to understand and meet the range and complexity of patients’ needs.

• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.

• Data from the national GP patient survey showed patients rated the practice higher than others for several aspects of care.

• We saw staff treated patients with kindness and respect, and maintained patient and information confidentiality.

• Practice staff reviewed the needs of its local population and engaged with the NHS England Area Team and Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to secure improvements to services where these were identified.

• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• 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.

• Partners had defined responsibilities for example for safeguarding, the quality and outcomes framework and information governance.

• The practice involved their patient and public involvement group (PPG) in discussions about practice development.

• 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.

The areas where the provider should make improvements:

• Replace the flooring in clinical rooms where the current carpeted areas are unsuitable.

• Identify patients who are carers.The practice had identified 100 patients who were carers which was less than 1% of the practice’s patient list

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice