Shirley Health Partnership

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

We looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

This is the first inspection for this service following its relocation to new premises 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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

During our onsite visit, we observed staff respecting privacy and speaking to people in a compassionate way. The service proactively offered quiet waiting areas and private spaces for discussions with reception staff.

Friends and Family Test (FFT) data from March 2026 showed that, out of 460 responses received, 379 people rated their experience of the service as ‘very good’ and 59 rated it as ‘good’. Feedback included positive comments describing a ‘extremely professional and kind approach’.

This was mirrored in feedback received during our assessment from people who described clinical staff as “brilliant” and “really helpful”.

Results from the 2025 National GP Patient Survey showed 88.7% of respondents felt their healthcare professional was very good or fairly good at listening to them, compared to a national average of 86.9%.

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.

The service was awarded the Learning Disability Friendly GP practice award in 2026. People with a learning disability were offered longer appointments and had access to a sensory needs box and communication tools. The service had improved uptake of annual health reviews for people with a learning disability by booking appointments directly and phoning people to arrange them which improved attendance.

The service also provided information for people with a learning disability ahead of appointments such as easy-to-read appointment specific information and general service information with photos of the premises and staff. People could also return this prior to their visit to tell the service of any reasonable adjustments they may need and following their visit they could use it to provide feedback on their experience.

People’s personal, cultural, social, religious and equality characteristics needs were understood and met. Communication needs were met to enable them to be fully involved in their care.

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

People registered with the service were allocated a named GP, while also being offered flexibility and choice in how their care was delivered. People could request appointments with a clinician of a preferred gender, helping to support personalised and inclusive care. Administrative staff supported people to access additional help, including signposting to community services. The service also provided equipment, such as a hearing loop, to promote accessibility and independence.

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. Staff tailored care to individual needs, including providing GP home visits for people who were housebound.

The service ensured health care professionals such as paramedics, could escalate urgent concerns promptly by providing a direct bypass number, enabling timely access to medical support when required.

The service used a structured triage system for appointments to prioritise people with immediate needs. Staff we spoke with were clear on the referral pathways for emergency support and had access to duty clinicians for advice when needed.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always 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 we spoke with reported being supported if they were struggling at work and the service reported it had a low staff turnover rate. We saw team building days were established within the service, for example, in the staff room, we saw art displayed which was created by staff at a previous event, and jigsaw puzzles were provided to encourage mindfulness during breaks. The staff also told us they took part in festive celebrations and had enjoyed summer events as a team.