The Parkshot Medical Practice

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

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

At our last assessment, we rated this key question as good. At this assessment, the rating remains the same.

This service scored 79 (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. Staff reported that the practice had been thriving, friendly and patient‑centred. Staff explained that they worked closely together, valued one another’s strengths, and aimed to ensure every patient felt listened to, respected, and well cared for. 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.All staff had contributed to the development of the practice vision and strategy, which was kept under review. The practice was working with partner agencies to address future challenges.

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. Staff reported that leaders within the practice were approachable and responsive to any concerns raised. They described managers as having an open-door policy and said they felt comfortable seeking support whenever needed. Staff also told us leaders modelled the values of the practice. We saw the leadership team worked with other practices in the primary care network 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 and were confident that the leadership of the organisation would act on them.

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. Adjustments had been made to ensure all staff were valued. Leaders understood requirements to ensure reasonable adjustments were made for staff who needed them.

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. Clinical audits were carried out to monitor quality, identify areas for improvement, and ensure that patient care remained evidence‑based. Findings were shared within the team, and learning was embedded into daily practice. 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 and performance reviews. All staff files we reviewed contained recent appraisals, and records showed that appraisals had been completed annually in previous years. Staff we spoke with confirmed they received regular appraisals and referred to the process as “very supportive”. 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. We saw meeting minutes confirming this. Staff took patient confidentiality and information security seriously.

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. Staff and leaders, we spoke with were open and transparent, and they collaborated with all relevant external stakeholders and agencies. The provider worked with other practices within their primary care network to offer extended access, and flu and covid vaccination programmes. Staff had made adjustments to improve coordination of their service with community healthcare services, including multidisciplinary meetings, such as Proactive Anticipatory Care (PAC), which were designed to prevent crises, reduce hospital admissions, and support people to remain independent at home.

The service had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. For example, the practice demonstrated a comprehensive training programme that supported trainees' clinical development, wellbeing and integration into the practice team. Trainees benefited from structured supervision, protected learning time and opportunities to participate in quality improvement activities. The practice always encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contribute to safe, effective practice and research. For example, the practice participated in National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) studies, including the Asymptomatic study (improving asthma management in children), the Dare to think Study (stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation) and the Participant Identification Centre (PIC) study (addressing health inequalities in prostate cancer detection among Black men). Through participation in these NIHR studies, the practice provided patients with access to research opportunities close to home, supported the development of future NHS treatments and guidelines, promoted evidence-based medicine, contributed to reducing health inequalities and strengthened links between primary care and academic research.The practice had a quality improvement plan in place to help drive improvements in services. We saw numerous examples of how the practice encouraged learning and development amongst all staff groups, with most staff having experienced some form of internal career progression due to the support and development opportunities available.