Gorton Medical Centre

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.

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

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.

Feedback obtained indicated that patients were treated with kindness and respect. Patients described reception and clinical staff as friendly and reported positive relationships with their clinicians. Arrangements were in place to maintain privacy and confidentiality, including private consultation rooms and secure office spaces away from patient areas.

National GP Patient Survey data was in line with national averages. For example, 83% of respondents felt they were treated with care and concern during their last appointment.

Staff we spoke with understood Gillick competency and there was a process to ensure young adults had control over their own privacy and the amount of parental involvement in managing their care and support.

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.

Patients’ personal, cultural, social, religious and equality characteristics needs were understood and met. Patient communication needs were met to enable them to be fully involved in their care. The practice had systems in place to identify people who may require additional support, including carers, people with learning disabilities and those with sensory impairments. Staff described making reasonable adjustments for patients, including arranging home visits, longer appointments and interpreter support where required. Patients we spoke with told us they felt listened to, could see their preferred clinician and were treated in a caring and respectful manner.

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

Staff helped patients and their carers to access advocacy and community-based services.

The practice supported people to make informed decisions about their care and treatment. Staff used personalised care planning and discussed future care and treatment preferences with patients where appropriate. Patients with long-term conditions were involved in reviews of their care and medicines and were supported to understand their treatment options.

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 recognised and responded appropriately when people required urgent support. The practice operated a clinician-led triage system, with all requests reviewed by a GP to ensure patients received care according to clinical need and urgency. Staff described clear processes for identifying deteriorating patients and escalating concerns when serious symptoms were reported through reception, email or direct contact with the practice.

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

Leaders promoted a supportive and inclusive culture and provided staff with opportunities for learning and development. Staff had access to protected learning time, regular meetings and training to support them in their roles. The practice held regular multidisciplinary and team meetings where staff could discuss incidents, safeguarding concerns, complaints and operational issues. Leaders described the importance of creating a positive culture within the practice and supporting staff to deliver safe and effective care.