The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Dr Ritu Prasad Also known as Cedars Medical Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

The Cedars Medical Centre, 118 Elliott Avenue, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 9LZ (020) 8429 9595

Provided and run by:
Dr Ritu Prasad

All Inspections

20 April 2023

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Ritu Prasad (also known as Cedars Medical Centre) on 20 April 2023. Overall, the practice is rated as Good.

Safe - Good

Effective - Good

Caring - Good

Responsive - Good

Well-led - Requires improvement

Following our previous inspection on 8 January 2016, the practice was rated good overall and for all key questions.

The full reports for previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Dr Ritu Prasad on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Why we carried out this inspection

We carried out this inspection in response to concerns reported to us. We reviewed all key questions as part of this inspection.

How we carried out the inspection

This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site.

This included:

  • Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing.
  • Completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system (this was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements).
  • Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider.
  • Requesting evidence from the provider.
  • A site visit.

Our findings

We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:

  • what we found when we inspected
  • information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
  • information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

We found that:

  • The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
  • Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
  • Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
  • Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
  • Leaders could demonstrate that they had the capacity and skills to deliver high quality sustainable care. However, some staff reported they were unable to raise concerns as the leaders were not always approachable.
  • Whilst the practice had systems and processes in place for identifying risks, we found inconsistent approaches to managing and mitigating risks.

Whilst we found no breaches of regulations, the provider should:

  • Improve the system for maintaining records relating to staff vaccination.
  • Continue to address all outstanding actions from the recent risk assessments for infection prevention and control and Legionella.
  • Improve the systems for acting on safety alerts.
  • Follow-up patients consistently to check response to treatment after an acute exacerbation of asthma.
  • Continue to improve uptake rates for childhood immunisations (for children aged 2 years and 5 years) and cervical screening.
  • Continue to seek and act on feedback from staff.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

Chief Inspector of Health Care

8 January 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr E Kosciesza's Practice, also known as Cedars Medical Centre, on 8 January 2016. 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.
  • Most risks to patients were assessed and well managed, although at the time of inspection the practice had not reviewed actions from a fire risk assessment and a legionella risk assessment had not been undertaken.
  • 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.
  • 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 was available and easy to understand.
  • Patients said they found it easy to access the service to make an appointment, although some patients said they found it difficult to make an appointment with their preferred GP. Urgent appointments were available the same day.
  • In the absence of a male GP registrar, there was no provision for patients to see a male GP.
  • 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 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 are:

  • Review the actions from the recent fire risk assessments.
  • Carry out a legionella risk assessment to identify and monitor the risks associated with legionella bacteria.
  • Ensure the automatic external defibrillator has pads suitable for children.
  • Advertise that translation services are available to patients on request.
  • Consider GP provision for gender specific GP requests.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice