Browney House 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. This key question has been rated as 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 demonstrated a commitment to treating people with kindness, empathy, and compassion, while also respecting patients’ privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect, and measures were in place to promote patient privacy, for example, a notice in the reception area invited patients to request confidential conversations.

Results from the National GP Patient Survey (GPPS) reflected positive feedback, with 93% of patients reporting that the reception and administrative team were helpful, which was notably above the national average of 83%.

However, only 73% of patients felt they were treated with care and concern, which fell below the national average of 86%. In response, the practice conducted an additional patient questionnaire to gather more detailed feedback and identify areas for improvement. At the time of the assessment, the results of this questionnaire had not yet been analysed.

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

Staff understood and met patients’ personal, cultural, social, religious, and equality-related needs. They also met patients’ communication needs to enable full involvement in their care.

Staff flagged patients with hearing impairments on the system to alert clinicians. They adapted their communication accordingly and used translation services or alternative formats, such as large print, to support patients in understanding information and making decisions about their care.

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 patients and their carers to access advocacy and community-based services.

Data from the 2025 National GP Patient Survey showed that 93% of respondents felt they were involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment. This was higher than the national average of 91%. Additionally, 60% of respondents reported that they usually saw or spoke to their preferred healthcare professional, compared to the national average of 40%.

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, concerns, 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.

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

The practice told us they engaged with the Better Health at Work Award (BHAWA) initiative around July 2024. This was a recognised initiative across the North East and Cumbria that supported employers who prioritised staff health and wellbeing.

Leaders had taken steps to recognise and meet the wellbeing needs of staff, which included providing the necessary resources and facilities for safe working. For example, they had obtained a table for the back room upon staff request, to ensure staff had protected break time and a space to sit during lunch breaks away from their desks. Staff told us they felt valued and supported by leaders.