Sinnott Medical Centre

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

People’s care, treatment and support had promoted equality, removed barriers or delays, and protected their rights. Leaders and staff had proactively sought ways to address barriers to improve people’s experience. The service had complied with legal equality and human rights requirements, including avoiding discrimination, having regard to the needs of people with different protected characteristics, and making reasonable adjustments to support equity in experience and outcomes.

This is the first assessment for this service since its registration with CQC. This key question has been rated as good.

This service scored 71 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Care plans had reflected the physical, mental, emotional, and social needs of patients, including those related to protected characteristics under the Equality Act. Our review of clinical records showed patients had been supported to understand their condition and had been involved in planning for their care needs.

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care had been joined-up, flexible, and had supported choice and continuity. Patients had been provided with access to a translation service. Leaders told us the service used technology to continually monitor performance, manage health conditions, and improve access. Staff told us the service ran searches to identify vulnerable patients at high risk from poor health or isolation. The provider had secured transition funding aimed at improving patient access by using digital tools for initial consultations and ensuring patients were directed to the most appropriate care.

The latest national GP Patient Survey had found that 82% of respondents felt the healthcare professional they saw had all the information they needed about them during their last appointment. Leaders and staff explained how they had ensured information was available to as wide an audience as possible. Staff told us they had understood people’s communication needs and gave examples of how they had provided information in accessible formats. People using the service, their families, and carers (where appropriate) had been provided with information that was accessible, safe, secure, and supportive of their rights and choices.The service made adjustments for disabled people and provided interpreting and translation services for people who did not speak English as a first language, and support for deaf people who used British Sign Language.

The latest national GP Patient Survey found that 77% of patients felt the healthcare professional they last saw was good at listening to them during their appointment. This result was below both the local and national averages of 82% and showed a downward trend.

The service made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. They involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

We saw complaints were managed in line with the practice’s policy. Learning from complaints was evident and staff were able to identify changes made because of patient feedback, including complaints.

The appointment system required patients to complete an online request form, which a clinical team member had triaged. Patients who could not complete the form had been able to contact the service via telephone or attend in person, where reception staff assisted them.

The most recent national GP Patient Survey, conducted between December 2024 and April 2025 with 125 respondents, revealed that just over half (52%) rated their experience of contacting the GP practice as good. This figure falls short when compared to the local average of 64% and the national average of 70%. Only a quarter of patients found it easy to get through to the practice by phone, while just under a third (32%) found it easy to make contact via the website. When booking a general practice appointment, only 38% reported being offered a choice of time or day. Additionally, just over a quarter (26%) found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App. On a more positive note, 76% of patients described the reception and administrative staff as helpful, and 61% found the website easy to use. Despite these strengths, the service remains in the bottom quartile nationally, ranking poorly in five out of ten key metrics.The provider had developed an action plan to address these issues, which included upgrading the telephony and promoting digital channels.

In contrast, the service’s own internal survey, which ran from February 2024 to February 2025 and included 58 respondents, showed more favourable results in some areas. For example, 19% of patients rated their overall experience of making an appointment as excellent, and 47% described it as good. When it came to getting through to the practice by telephone, 66% of patients rated their experience as either excellent or good, while 34% felt their experience was fair or poor.While this internal feedback is noted, the significant divergence from the national survey results indicates these internal mechanisms may not fully capture or represent the experience of all patient groups, particularly those who struggle with access. This divergence itself requires exploration to ensure equitable insight.

Systems had been in place to recall and invite patients for childhood immunisations and cervical cancer screening.

Treatment rooms had been available on the ground floor, and a ramp and automatic door had been fitted to the entrance.

Staff and leaders had actively listened to information about people most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and had tailored care, support, and treatment accordingly. Feedback provided by people using the service, both to the provider and to CQC, had been positive. Staff had treated people equally and without discrimination. Leaders had proactively sought ways to address barriers to improving people’s experience and had worked with local organisations, including those in the voluntary sector, to address local health inequalities.Staff had understood the importance of providing an inclusive approach to care and had made adjustments to support equity in people’s experience and outcomes. The provider had maintained processes to ensure people could register, including those in vulnerable circumstances such as homeless people and Travellers.

The latest national GP Patient Survey found that 79% of patients had stated they were involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment.This was below the local average of 88% and national average of 91%.

People’s decisions and what mattered to them had been reflected in personalised care plans, which had been shared with others when necessary. Feedback received from patients during the assessment indicated that patients felt involved in decisions about their care and treatment.