- Independent doctor
Summerhill Health
Assessment report published 27 July 2026
Contents
On this page
- 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
Well-led
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. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities.
Leaders and staff shared a clear vision centred on providing expert clinical care, personalised support and accessible services. Staff consistently described the service's values and provided examples of how these were reflected in practice.Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
The service had inclusive leaders at all levels 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.
Leaders demonstrated the skills and knowledge required to oversee and develop the service. Staff described leaders as approachable and supportive, with an open-door culture that encouraged discussion and the raising of concerns.Freedom to speak up
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 and demonstrated an understanding of incident reporting processes and explained how incidents and learning were routinely discussed within team meetings.
Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
The service valued diversity in their workforce. They work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them.
Policies and procedures to promote diversity and equality were in place. Staff had completed training in equality and diversity.
Governance, management and sustainability
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 maintained effective governance systems to monitor the quality, safety and sustainability of services. Regular team meetings, action trackers and oversight processes supported organisational learning and accountability. Systems were in place to monitor incidents, complaints, referrals, test results and training compliance. The provider demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement through the development of new services in response to patient feedback. For example, dedicated Women's Health Packages were introduced alongside pathway monitoring arrangements and system changes to support safe delivery. The provider was also developing a GP Subscription Service to meet emerging patient demand.Partnerships and communities
The service understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people. They share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement.
The provider worked effectively with external healthcare professionals and organisations to support people receiving care. Staff described communicating with patients' registered GPs, making referrals to specialist services and monitoring referral outcomes through established tracking systems. The service signposted people to external support services, including counselling and nutrition services, where these were appropriate to their needs.Learning, improvement and innovation
The service focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contribute to safe, effective practice and research.
The practice had a quality improvement plan in place to help drive improvements in services.