Albany Surgery

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

We looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

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 service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Feedback from local care homes confirmed staff were always friendly and very caring, staff showed compassion and respect to people, and they listened to all staff concerns.

Staff who chaperoned people were aware of their responsibilities in maintaining a person’s dignity and safety during intimate examinations. We observed notices around the service advising people chaperones were available and how to request a chaperone.

The service had processes for people who required interpreter services and British Sign Language (BSL) support.

Arrangements were in place to promote people’s privacy. Waiting rooms had music playing so conversations could not be overheard. For further privacy, people could also request to have a conversation in a private room off from the reception area.

The 2025 National GP Patient Survey data reflected people felt listened to and were treated with kindness. Staff we spoke with understood Gillick competency (Gillick competency refers to the legal ability of a child under 16 to consent to medical treatment without parental consent, provided they have sufficient understanding and intelligence to appreciate the treatment's nature, risks, and alternatives) and there was a process to ensure young adults had control over their own privacy and the amount of parental involvement in managing their care and support.

The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

People’s personal, cultural, social, religious and equality characteristics needs were understood and met. The service offered gender neutral toilets for those who recognised themselves as transgender or non-binary. The service also offered quiet areas for those who may find busy areas of the service overwhelming, such as people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and large baby changing rooms to accommodate families and pushchairs. People’s communication needs were met to enable them to be fully involved in their care.

Additional needs, such as communication or necessary physical adjustments, were recorded on clinical records to alert staff. For example, staff demonstrated how they responded to an alert that detailed the person required extra time for an appointment, so they were not rushed due to communication requirements.

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

The service had identified 642 people who were carers. This equated to over 6% of people registered at the service. Staff used digital flags on clinical records to alert staff if a person was a carer.

There was information available on the website and in the service for carers, to ensure they understood the various avenues of support available to them. By identifying carers it helps ensure that they get the support and resources they need to empower both the carers and those they care for by enhancing their independence and control over their lives

The service had disabled access and hearing loops to promote independence.

People were able to request to see a clinician of their choice. However, if this was not possible for on the day appointments, staff explained the situation and offered alternative appointments.

The service had access to the services of a well-being coach who could refer people to other relevant services such as the smoking cessation service, weight management and exercise groups as well as local walking groups. This helped promote peoples independence, choice and control.

Staff helped people and their carers to access advocacy and community-based services.

The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

During on our onsite visit, we reviewed the appointment and triage system and saw urgent medical needs were identified and these were prioritised appropriately. Staff highlighted the support they had from the daily ‘Duty Doctor’ who checked and confirmed decisions made and was always available to respond to people’s’ immediate needs.

Staff we spoke with knew the process for referral to emergency support, including mental health crisis teams.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff told us they were valued by leaders. Leaders had taken steps to recognise and meet the wellbeing needs of staff, which included the necessary resources and facilities for safe working, such as regular breaks and rest areas. Staff reported being supported if they were struggling at work. We saw team building days were established within the service, staff we spoke with told us this helped strengthen relationships between staff, boosted morale as well as improving communication.

Staff had regular supervisions and appraisals with their team leaders. We were told this supported their wellbeing and personal development.

Feedback from staff described how positive it was to have such a supportive management who are always available and responsive to any concerns raised. Staff described the service as” one big family “saying that “everyone genuinely cares about each other and the people they support”.

All staff we spoke with told us there was a strong emphasis on the safety and wellbeing across all teams. Leaders told us they recognised staff retention was integral to delivering a high-quality service and encouraged staff development in line with the needs of the specific staff member, as well as the service, and worked hard to ensure high staff satisfaction.

Staff provided positive feedback regarding their experience of working at the service, highlighting the supportive family environment.