Beacon Medical Centre

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

People were involved in decisions about their care. Beacon Medical Centre provided information people could understand. People knew how to give feedback and were confident Beacon Medical Centre took it seriously and acted on it. Beacon Medical Centre was easy to access and worked to eliminate discrimination. People received fair and equal care and treatment. Beacon Medical Centre worked to reduce health and care inequalities through training and feedback. People were involved in planning their care and understood options around choosing to withdraw or not receive care.

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.

Beacon Medical Centre made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

Care plans reflected physical, mental, emotional, and social needs of patients including those related to protected characteristics under the Equality Act. Our review of clinical records showed patients were supported to understand their condition and were involved in planning for their care needs. They were also involved in decisions about their care.

Beacon Medical Centre understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

We saw the practice worked in partnership with other services to meet the needs of its patient population. The practice had tailored its services to meet the diverse needs of its community, for example, building relationships with community groups to promote the take up of screening programmes. There were established mechanisms for engaging with the community healthcare provider.

Beacon Medical Centre supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

Information to promote the take up of screening and immunisation programmes was available in a range of languages. The practice had access to interpreter services, including British Sign Language. Information provided by Beacon Medical Centre met the Accessible Information Standard. Patients were informed as to how to access their care records, and were encouraged to use the NHS app to ensure access to appointments, digital consulting services, and prescriptions.

Beacon Medical Centre made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. They involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

We saw complaints were managed in line with the practice’s policy. Learning from complaints was evident and staff were able to identify changes made as a result of patient feedback, including complaints.

Beacon Medical Centre was exceptional at ensuring people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

In response to the National GP Patient Survey data and from feedback from members of the community the provider had identified changes to improve access to Beacon Medical Centre. For example, they offered extended appointments for people with a learning disability and established early Friday morning clinics to[RD1] accommodate working people and those with children.

People could access Beacon Medical Centre to suit their needs for example online, in person and by telephone. From GP Patient Survey data, 64% of patients found it easy to get through to the practice by phone. The national average is 53%.

76% of patients felt they waited about the right of time for their last appointment. Compared to the national average of 67%.

The practice actively encouraged patients to migrate to the NHS app. For those without access to digital technologies, arrangements were made to assist patients through call-back systems.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

Feedback provided by people using Beacon Medical Centre, both to the provider as well as to CQC, was positive. Staff treated people equally and without discrimination. Leaders proactively sought ways to address any barriers to improving people’s experience and worked with local organisations, including within the voluntary sector, to address any local health inequalities. Staff understood the importance of providing an inclusive approach to care and made adjustments to support equity in people’s experience and outcomes. The provider had processes to ensure people could register at the practice, including those in vulnerable circumstances such as homeless people and Travellers. Staff used appropriate systems to capture and review feedback from people using Beacon Medical Centre, including those who did not speak English or have access to the internet.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

Our records review showed people were supported to consider their wishes for their end-of-life care, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This information was shared with other services when necessary.