Central Clinic

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• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

We looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.

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 had a shared vision, strategy and culture. The service mission was “Building a healthier community where everyone feels valued and cared for”. Leaders fostered a culture of positivity, compassion, and active listening, with a strong emphasis on promoting equality and diversity. They showed awareness of the challenges of deprivation and the changing needs of the local population. Future plans were in place to support succession planning and ensure the future resilience of the practice.

Staff listened to patient’s needs, complaints and suggestions and showed an understanding of equality, diversity and human rights in providing safe, compassionate care for the patient population. Feedback we received from staff regarding the culture within the practice was very positive. They told us it was a positive and friendly environment to work in, the culture was open, transparent, blame free and non-discriminatory.

The service had inclusive leaders who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

The leadership focused on creating a work environment where all individuals felt valued, respected, and empowered in their roles and responsibilities, including the delivery of the service’s vision, strategy and culture. They embraced diversity, fostered a sense of belonging, and ensured equitable opportunities for all team members. Staff spoke positively about the leaders, that they were approachable and responded to any concerns raised.

We saw the leadership team worked with other practices in the Primary Care Network (PCN) and were engaged in the development of primary care services within the local area.

The service fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The practice had established Freedom to Speak up arrangements. Staff were aware of how to raise concerns.

Leaders encouraged the reporting of incidents to identify ways in which the practice could continually improve. All staff had undertaken equality and diversity training.

The practice had clear policies and procedures accessible to all staff, for example, there was a whistleblowing, equality and diversity and duty of candour policy in place.

The service had policies and procedures in place to promote diversity, equality, and safe recruitment practices. It actively valued diversity within its workforce and worked towards fostering an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for all staff.

An induction process was in place for newly appointed staff. As part of mandatory training, all staff had completed equality and diversity training. Staff were supported through regular appraisals, one to one meetings and clinical supervision reinforcing the service’s commitment to inclusive practice.

The service had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and share this securely with others when appropriate.

Leaders and managers supported staff, and all staff we spoke with were clear on their individual roles and responsibilities.

Managers met with staff regularly to complete appraisals. The provider had established governance processes that were appropriate for their service. Staff could access all required policies and procedures. Managers held regular practice meetings with staff, during which they discussed clinical concerns and emerging risks. Managers clearly recorded any actions arising from these meetings and ensured they shared these with staff. Staff took patient confidentiality and information security seriously.

Following the practice takeover, leaders demonstrated a clear understanding of their responsibility to collaborate and work in partnership to ensure services operated seamlessly for patients. As part of this commitment, the practice joined the local Primary Care Network (PCN), enabling the sharing of information and learning with partner organisations and fostering collaborative improvement across the system.

Leaders worked closely with other practices within the PCN to deliver extended access services, including Saturday clinics held at the practice. Multidisciplinary meetings were routinely held to review and improve outcomes for patients with complex needs.

There was an active Patient Participation Group (PPG) operating at both practice and PCN level. Members of the PPG reported that the practice was supportive and receptive to the patient voice, actively involving them in initiatives such as health promotion and enhancements to the waiting area. In response to patient feedback, a 'You Said, We Did' noticeboard was prominently displayed in the waiting area, demonstrating the practice’s commitment to transparency and patient engagement.

The service demonstrated a commitment to continuous learning, innovation, and improvement across both the organisation and the wider local system. Leaders encouraged creative approaches to delivering equitable experiences, outcomes, and quality of life for all patients. The practice actively contributed to safe and effective care through engagement with research initiatives. For example, it was recognised as research friendly and supported clinical trial recruitment, offering patients the opportunity to participate in studies that advance medical knowledge and enhance care pathways.

The practice had a structured quality improvement plan to support ongoing service enhancement. Since taking over the practice, the provider had participated in the NHS England Accelerated Programme. Key developments included the installation of a new telephone system, a redesigned website, and a strong focus on staff training, communication, and the implementation of consistent operational processes. We found systems for assessing the quality of the service and outcomes for patients were in place. The provider also worked collaboratively and in partnership with stakeholders to improve the experience of people who used the service and those within the locality.