Sutton GP Surgery rated Inadequate

Dr Hafeez and Partner, also known as Sutton Medical Practice, in Carshalton Road, has been rated as Inadequate for being safe and well-led. It was rated Requires Improvement for being effective and caring and Good for being responsive, following an inspection in October 2018. It’s previous rating was Good overall.

Inspectors found that the practice, which looks after approximately 4,400 people, had not taken effective action on negative patient feedback and that it did not have effective systems to ensure that high risk medicines were safely prescribed.

CQC also found that significant events were not being recorded to ensure that lessons were learnt. There were some areas of the practice’s clinical performance that were below average or below target and there were no substantive plans to ensure improvement. The practice was not taking the action required in response to patient safety alerts.

Practice leaders had failed to adequately monitor and address some areas of performance. For example, with regards to outcomes for patients with diabetes.

However, staff said that practice leaders were approachable and worked well with staff at all levels. The practice, was responsive to the people that used it. It understood the needs of its population and tailored services in response to those needs.

The practice must now:

• Ensure care and treatment is provided on a safe way to patients.
• Establish ways to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

Michele Golden, Head of Inspection for General Practice in London, said:

“It is always disappointing when a practice that was previously rated as Good overall lets standards fall and its care becomes Inadequate.

“I want to see Sutton Medical Practice raise its standards and to that end we have placed it into special measures, which will give people who use the service the reassurance that the care they get should improve.”