The Potteries

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

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 and were supported with emotional wellbeing and bereavement needs and navigation through complex healthcare information.

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.

The service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Arrangements were in place to promote patients’ privacy. National GP Patient Survey data reflected people felt listened to and were treated with kindness. For example, 97% of the responded stated they had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to during their last general practice appointment. This was above the local average of 94% and national average of 93%.

The practice gathered NHS ‘Friends and Family Test’ data, which consistently reflected high levels of patient satisfaction. The practice continuously worked on addressing the small number of negative comments received and used these as an opportunity for learning and improvement.

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.

Patient communication needs were met to enable them to be fully involved in their care. Patient feedback was actively encouraged through Friends and Family test results, national patient survey results and through PPG members, with learning used to inform service improvement.

National GP Patient Survey data reflected that patients felt involved in decisions about their care. For example, 98 % of the respondents stated they were involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment during their last general practice appointment. This was above the local average of 92% and national average of 91%.

Also, 92% of the respondents suggested the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at listening to them during their last general practice appointment. This was also above the local average of 88% and national average of 87%.

The practice identified patients who were carers and proactively offered them health checks, vaccinations, flexible appointments, and referrals to the social prescriber for advice and support. The practice currently has 670 carers on its register, approximately 5% of the patient population. Carer information was clearly displayed on the notice boards in waiting area.

A full-time social prescriber worked within the practice and actively promoted health checks and wellbeing support for patients and their carers. Staff were able to provide examples of positive outcomes for patients accessing social prescribing, including improvements in mental wellbeing, access to financial guidance, and participation in social activities.

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

The recent patient survey results suggested that 90% of the respondents felt their needs were met during their last general practice appointment. The practice’s social prescriber helped ensure people had access to activities and the local community, to promote and support their independence, health and wellbeing.

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. All staff we spoke with knew the process for referral to emergency support, including mental health crisis teams.

The recent patient survey results indicated that 79% of the respondents suggested that the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at considering their mental wellbeing during their last general practice appointment. This was above the local average and national average of 74%.

Since the introduction of the total triage model in October 2025, the practice has taken proactive steps to ensure patients understand how to access services and what to expect from the new pathway.

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

Staff told us leaders valued them. The practice 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.

Staff valued the daily coffee-morning sessions, which were scheduled in the calendar as dedicated time for informal clinical and non-clinical discussion. These sessions were open to all staff who were available. They also reported feeling supported, and this was evidenced by low turnover and the number of staff who had worked at the practice for many years.