EMC 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.

This is the first inspection for this service since its registration with CQC. However, the provider has remained the same. Under the previous registration they were rated requires improvement on 13 March 2020.This provider has improved and been rated good.

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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. Arrangements were in place to promote people’s privacy.

National GP Patient Survey data reflected people felt listened to and were treated with kindness. Results from the GP Patient Survey showed that 79% of the respondents were positive about the overall experience of their GP practice against a national average of 75%. People we spoke with on the day of inspection were very positive with how staff treated them both in person and on the phone.

There was not a separate room in the practice for patients to speak privately to staff members should they wish to, however staff told us there were arrangements in place for privacy.

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.

Systems were in place to make sure people were treated in ways that suited them. During registration, people were able to highlight any requirements or preferences that were important to them. These needs were then recorded in the patient record system, allowing all staff to be aware of individual preferences. The National GP Survey results showed that 92% of people stated that during their last appointment they were involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment against a local average of 91%.

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

Staff helped people and their carers to access advocacy and community-based services. There were leaflets in the waiting room to signpost people for additional support alongside a primary care network (PCN) social prescriber who was available. The practice made reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities and offered interpreting and translation services for those whose first language was not English, including British Sign Language support. Additionally, information could be provided in a paper format rather than digitally for patients who had difficulty using technology, ensuring that communication needs were met effectively.

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.

There was a system for appointment triage that ensured people with immediate needs had access to services. Staff we spoke with knew the process for referral to emergency support, including mental health crisis teams. All staff had access to emergency support information at their workstation to refer patients to. Physician Associates completed triage under the supervision of an experienced GP. However, All triage decisions were made by GPs, ensuring, care was prioritised based on clinical need.

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. The staff room was currently being refurbished to improve facilities for staff to take breaks. Staff reported being supported if they were struggling at work. We saw team building days were established within the practice. Meetings and supervision were established to support staff with line managers taking into account professional development as well as personal concerns or issues.