Doncaster medical practice is rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission has found the quality of care provided by Dr Mushkoor Sheikh, Doncaster to be Outstanding following an inspection carried out in January.

Inspectors rated the practice as Outstanding for caring and responsiveness and Good for safety, well-led and effectiveness. Overall, the practice was rated as outstanding. A full report of the inspection has been published.

Under CQC’s programme of inspections, all England’s GP practices are being given a rating according to whether they are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.

The report on Dr Mushkoor Sheikh’s practice highlights a number of areas of outstanding practice including:

• The practice had developed self-certification notes which contained self-care advice and information for minor illnesses. It detailed the expected duration of symptoms, how best to treat them and what to look for if the symptoms worsened. Information was provided about where to get help if the symptoms worsened.
• Following review of all test results the GP would document the advice to be given to the patient, what to look out for and time frame for follow up tests in the patient record. This was then shared with patient’s by reception staff. Patients’ reported this was a very informative service and negated the need to make further appointments with the GP.

Sue McMillan CQC’s Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice in the North says:

“It is very clear that this is a patient-centred practice where patients say they are treated with compassion, dignity and respect and involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.

“New and innovative methods of treatment are always worth highlighting which is why I was interested in the way the practice championed and participated in the social prescribing project in Doncaster. The GPs and practice nurses had the option to prescribe non-medical support to patients - including for loneliness and social isolation, housing or advice on debt.

“Dr Sheikh’s practice was the first practice in Doncaster to refer patients to the scheme and had referred 140 patients’ since August 2014. Those patients’ had been referred to 332 outward support organisations and had achieved many self-reported positive outcomes. In CQC’s opinion, a thoroughly worthwhile scheme.

“The innovative way in which Dr Sheikh is working is clearly paying off which is why we have found this practice to be Outstanding.”

Ends

For media enquiries, David Fryer 07901 514220, Mark Humphreys 0191 233 3519 or call the CQC press office on 020 7448 9401 during office hours or out of hours on 07917 232 143. For general enquiries, call 03000 61 61 61.