The Blundellsands 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

The service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. Staff we spoke with or received feedback from demonstrated a caring and patient centred approach to their work. Patient feedback shared directly with CQC was that all staff were caring and understanding of their needs. Staff said they felt well supported in their roles and that their wellbeing at work was considered. The culture of the service was strongly patient centred and staff told us they worked well as a team with a shared priority to provide a high quality and caring service to people.

This service scored 85 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People said they were treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. Responses from patient surveys were positive. The practice shared their NHS Friends and Family Test data which demonstrated that patient satisfaction was positive with 99% of respondents stating they would recommend the practice. 98% of those who responded to the National GP Patient Survey said the healthcare professional was good at treating them with care and concern during their appointment which was significantly higher than the national average of 85%. We observed that people’s privacy and dignity was respected by reception staff.

The experience of people who used the service as indicated in the National GP Patient survey showed that people felt listened to and were treated with care, for example: 99% of patients responding to the GP patient survey felt that during their last appointment the healthcare professional was good at listening. The surgery was proud to be ranked 19th nationally for this indicator. Staff displayed understanding and a non-judgmental attitude towards people. Staff told us they gave people appropriate and timely information to understand their care, treatment, or condition. Interpretation services were available for people whose first language was not English and longer appointments were offered if required. There were arrangements to ensure confidentiality at reception and when people were distressed or wanted to speak to someone in private.

We saw that people’s needs were assessed and treatment was provided according to their individual requirements. Of the 105 people who completed the National GP Patient Survey, 99% felt the healthcare professional they saw had all the information they needed about them during their last general practice appointment. This exceeded both the local and national averages of 92%. People’s individual needs and equality characteristics were understood, and services were provided to meet these. The practice was veteran friendly and had received a gold award for excellence in LGBTQ+ healthcare. People’s communication needs were identified and met to enable them to be fully involved in their care, with translation services and information being available when required. Staff we spoke with told us how they ensured the individual communication needs of people were communicated by using alerts on the clinical system and accommodated by providing longer appointments if and when required.

The service promoted people’s independence, choice and decision making so that people had control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. The practice population was predominantly White British but information was available in the language of choice for everyone whose first language was not English. Staff were able to help patients and their carers to access advocacy and community based services.

Where possible, there was a range of appropriate tools to support and maximise people’s independence and outcomes such as individualised care and treatment plans that followed best practice guidance.

Patient feedback was continuously positive about their involvement in decisions about care and treatment. The National GP Patient Survey showed that 98%felt their needs were met during their last general practice appointment compared with the local and national averages of 90% and 91%, respectively. 84% said they had enough support from local services or organisations compared with 69% and 68%, respectively. A social prescriber was also available to identify any social, emotional, and practical needs, that may impact on patients’ care and then link them with relevant community resources like support groups, volunteering opportunities, or practical assistance.

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, concern or distress.

There was a system for appointment triage that ensured people with immediate needs had access to services. A duty doctor was available each day to support nonclinical staff in care navigation. Staff could offer a range of alternatives to patients to meet their immediate needs including emergency support, and access to mental health crisis teams. People’s needs were usually managed on the day of contact with the service. The remaining were either signposted or offered an appointment in the future to meet their needs. People were directed to the most appropriate person or service to meet their needs and ensure continuity of care where required. Members of the team had been provided with training in basic life support including the signs and symptoms of sepsis. Staff carried out reviews and monitoring for people and altered their medicines when necessary to meet their changing needs. Leaders had reviewed staffing to ensure there were enough clinicians to meet the needs of people.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to deliver person-centred care. Staff told us they were valued by leaders. Leaders had taken steps to recognise and meet the wellbeing needs of staff, which included the necessary resources and facilities for safe working, such as regular breaks and rest areas. Staff reported being supported if they were struggling at work. They said they received regular opportunities to provide feedback, raise concerns and suggest ways to improve the service or staff experiences and they said leaders responded well. Staff we spoke to or who fed back through questionnaires told us they felt well supported, during emotional work situations, particularly by their immediate line managers.