- Out of hours GP service
ELM Alliance @ Park Surgery
Assessment report published 8 December 2025
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 28 July 2025. Elm Alliance @ Park Surgery is a GP enhanced access service. The GP Enhanced Access Service is a national initiative introduced by NHS England to improve patient access to general practice services outside of traditional core hours. Elm Alliance @ Park Surgery provided this service covering the Holgate Primary Care Network and Greater Middlesbrough Primary Care Network. The service provides evening and weekend appointments with a mix of remote and in-person options, aiming to improve patient access to routine and urgent care. Patients could access the service during weekdays from 6:30pm until 9.00pm and Saturdays from 9am until 5pm. The GP Enhanced Access service offered a range of appointments including General Practitioner, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Healthcare Assistants and Treatment Room Nurses. Patients booked in by contacting their regular GP practice who after triage booked them into the enhanced access service when appropriate. Appointments could be booked up to 14 days in advance.
The service had a good learning culture and people could raise concerns. Managers investigated incidents thoroughly. People were protected and kept safe. Staff understood and managed risks. The facilities and equipment met the needs of people, were clean and well-maintained and any risks mitigated. There were staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience.
People were involved in assessments of their needs. Staff reviewed assessments taking account of people’s communication, personal and health needs. Care was based on latest evidence and good practice. The service worked with all agencies involved in people’s care for the best outcomes and smooth transitions when moving services. They made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent. Staff involved those important to people took decisions in people’s best interests where they did not have capacity.
People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. People had choice in their care and treatment. The service supported staff wellbeing.
People were involved in decisions about their care. The service provided information people could understand. People knew how to give feedback and were confident the service took it seriously and acted on it. The service was easy to access and worked to eliminate discrimination. People received fair and equal care and treatment. The service worked to reduce health and care inequalities through training and feedback. People were involved in planning their care and understood options around choosing to withdraw or not receive care.
Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Staff felt supported to give feedback. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. Managers worked with the local services to deliver the best possible care and were receptive to new ideas. There was a culture of continuous improvement.
People's experience of this service
People we spoke with during the assessment were positive about the quality of their care and treatment. In the providers own patient survey, 70% of respondents rated their experience of the service as excellent. In the same survey, 80% of respondents said they were likely to recommend the service to family and friends. As a GP enhanced access service, there was no patient participation group (PPG) and they were also not part of the annual National GP Patient Survey.