Seaton Surgery

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

We looked for evidence that staff involved people in decisions about their care and treatment and provided them advice and support. Staff regularly reviewed people’s care and worked with other providers to achieve this.
At our last assessment, we rated this key question as Good. At this assessment, the rating remains the same.
 

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.
Feedback from people using the practice was positive. People felt involved in any assessment of their needs and felt confident that staff understood their individual and cultural needs. Reception staff were aware of the needs of the local community. Reception staff used digital flags within the care records system to highlight any specific individual needs, such as the requirement for longer appointments or for a translator to be present. Staff checked people’s health, care, and wellbeing needs during health reviews. Staff could refer people with social needs, such as those experiencing social isolation or housing difficulties, to a social prescriber.

The provider planned and delivered care and treatment in partnership with patients, taking account of their individual needs, preferences and what mattered most to them. Care was provided in line with current legislation, evidence-based guidance and recognised standards. Systems were in place to ensure staff remained up to date with changes in guidance, including the integration of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance within the clinical system. Clinical audits, medication reviews and regular clinical meetings were used to monitor provider, review performance and reinforce evidence-based care. In addition, audits of long-term conditions were undertaken to support continuous quality improvement and ensure patients received care in line with current best provider.

The provider worked effectively across teams and organisations to support coordinated care and ensure people did not need to repeat their information unnecessarily. Staff had access to the information needed to assess, plan and deliver care safely and effectively. The shared electronic health record (EHR) system enabled effective communication and information sharing with community providers such as district nursing teams and other healthcare professionals involved in patient care.

Electronic task management systems were used to support workflow and ensure timely action on clinical requests. For example, referrals and requests from providers such as Hospital at Home were received electronically and reviewed promptly by the appropriate clinician. The provider worked closely with community matrons, care homes, mental health providers and other healthcare providers through multidisciplinary team meetings, ward rounds and regular communication to promote continuity of care and improve patient outcomes.

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing, helping them to maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff proactively identified risks to patients’ health, including those at risk of developing long-term conditions, patients approaching the end of life, and those with caring responsibilities. The provider supported national and local population health initiatives and worked collaboratively with the Primary Care Network (PCN) to address health inequalities across the locality.

The provider promoted healthy lifestyles through smoking cessation support, health screening, wellbeing initiatives and social prescribing. Patients with long-term conditions were supported through regular reviews and, where appropriate, access to exercise and wellbeing programmes. The provider also promoted uptake of preventative healthcare through routine health checks, long-term condition reviews, learning disability health checks, and breast and bowel screening programmes.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to support continuous improvement and ensure positive outcomes. The provider generally performed well against national screening and immunisation targets. Cervical screening uptake exceeded the national target, with 81.1% of eligible patients aged 25–49 and 83.9% of patients aged 50–64 appropriately screened against targets of 80%.

Childhood immunisation uptake was also high. The provider advised that, as of June 2026, 92.7% of eligible children aged five had received their Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination. The provider had a dedicated team member responsible for childhood immunisation invitations and follow-up and actively engaged with families to promote vaccination and explain its benefits where concerns or refusals were expressed.

Clinical records reviewed demonstrated that people experienced outcomes that were consistent with legislation, recognised standards and evidence-based clinical guidance.

The provider informed people about their rights regarding consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment. Patients could also access support from a chaperone where appropriate. We reviewed 3 Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) records and found that 1 review appeared to be overdue. When this was brought to the provider’s attention, they responded promptly by completing a significant event analysis, which identified that the review had in fact been carried out. However, due to a coding issue, this had not been accurately reflected on the clinical system. The provider subsequently reviewed the record and strengthened its processes for recording, coding and monitoring DNACPR decisions to help ensure that future reviews are coded accurately and can be effectively monitored.