During an assessment under our new approach
Date of Assessment: 23 September 2025 to 26 September 2025. Village Medical Centre is a GP practice and delivers services to 10500 patients under a contract held with NHS England. The practice has a branch surgery called Jubilee Health Centre in Wednesbury. The National General Practice Profiles states that 71.60% of patients are White, 16.22% Asian, 6.03% Black, 3.77% Mixed and 2.11% Other. Information published by Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that deprivation within the practice population group is in the 1st decile (1 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the practice population is relative to others. This assessment considered the demographics of the people using the service, the context the service was working within and how this impacted service delivery. Where relevant, further commentary is provided in the quality statements section of this report.
SAFE: The service had made improvements since the last assessment; however, we found further strengthening was required to ensure all risks were mitigated. Staff managed the majority of medicines well, but improvements were needed in the management of medicines that required regular monitoring. We found improvements had been implemented in the recruitment of staff to ensure all the appropriate checks had been completed prior to commencing employment. There was a good learning culture and people could raise concerns. Managers investigated incidents thoroughly and processes were now in place to ensure learning was shared with all the team to mitigate future risks. People were protected and kept safe. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. Managers made sure staff received training and regular appraisals to maintain high-quality care.
EFFECTIVE: We found the care and treatment of people had improved, with long term condition management strengthened to provide patients with regular reviews. The leadership team had implemented a system which assured the competence of staff employed in advanced clinical practice. 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. Staff worked with all agencies involved in people’s care for the best outcomes and smooth transitions when moving services. Staff made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent. Staff involved those important to people and took decisions in people’s best interests where they did not have capacity.
CARING: 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.
RESPONSIVE: 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. Feedback from patients highlighted the difficulties people faced on occasions in getting appointments, this was also reflected in the results of the GP National Patient Survey. The practice had an action plan in place to improve patient satisfaction. 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.
WELL-LED: Improvements had been made since the last assessment to strengthen governance processes and effective systems were in place to identify, manage and mitigate risks. 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 and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. Managers worked with the local community to deliver the best possible care and were receptive to new ideas. There was a culture of continuous improvement with staff given time and resources to try new ideas.