Key question: caring?
Population group: All groups
This example relates to Key Line of Enquiry (KLOE) C3: Do people who use services and those close to them receive the support they need to cope emotionally with their care and treatment?
When we inspected
Patients we spoke to on the day of our inspection were not positive about the emotional support provided by the practice. They felt staff did not respond compassionately when they needed help, for example, to access counselling services or support for carers looking after someone with dementia.
GPs said they had not referred anyone to other services for support. There were no notices in the patient waiting room signposting people to support groups and organisations.
Patients we spoke to who had experienced bereavement told us they had not received appropriate support from the practice. Some said they had not been contacted by the doctors at all and others stated it had taken some time to get death certificates.
Why this is inadequate?
Analysing the feedback from the people who use the service, this practice is not responding to patients’ and their carers’ emotional needs. This is further substantiated by a lack of information in the waiting room about support available, and the doctors' own comments about not referring patients for emotional support.