The Loughton Surgery

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.

Leaders and staff had a shared culture based on listening, learning and openness. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and inclusive and supported staff to develop in their roles. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and the service had effective governance systems. Leaders worked with the local community to deliver the best possible care and were receptive to new ideas. There was a culture of continuous improvement with staff given time and resources to try new ideas.

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 practice had a shared vision, strategy and culture. 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.

Leaders had developed a culture which prioritised high quality, safe and effective care for people, whilst understanding the challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

The service had exceptionally 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. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They always did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

Staff told us leaders in the practice were approachable and responded to any concerns raised. 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.

We saw examples of how adjustments had been made to working arrangements to enable staff to carry on in their role. Staff told us that this made them feel valued and that they felt they were an important part of the team.

Leaders had specific roles and responsibilities, and staff knew who the designated leaders were. Leaders had an open-door policy, had regular engagement with staff and attended meetings for two-way sharing of information and ideas. Clinical and non-clinical staff feedback was positive in all areas. Staff told us leaders were approachable and responded to any concerns or suggestions raised.

Leaders valued diversity in their workforce. They work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them.

There were processes in place to support workforce equality, diversity and inclusion, with an emphasis on the safety and well-being of staff. This included an equality and diversity policy, and all staff had completed training in equality, diversity and human rights. Staff we spoke with told us that they worked collaboratively as a team to support delivery of effective care for people.

Leaders valued diversity in their workforce. They work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them.

There were processes in place to support workforce equality, diversity and inclusion, with an emphasis on the safety and well-being of staff. This included an equality and diversity policy, and all staff had completed training in equality, diversity and human rights. Staff we spoke with told us that they worked collaboratively as a team to support delivery of effective care for people.

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 acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

The service had established governance processes that were appropriate for their service. Staff could access all required policies and procedures. The service had arrangements to ensure business continuity in a range of emergency circumstances.

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. 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. 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.

One of the GP partners was the joint clinical director for the Primary Care Network (PCN). (Primary care networks are groups of GP practices who work together to improve primary care services).

The provider worked with other practices within their primary care network to offer extended access, including Saturday and evening appointments. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated to continually improve the care and treatment provided.

The practice had a strong and long-standing culture of continuous learning, improvement, and innovation, shaped by evidence and local need. This led to better outcomes, fairer access, and a better experience for people.

Leaders and staff were proactive in sharing ideas, taking part in research, and using good practice to improve care. They regularly listened to feedback from people and the community, using it to shape and assess new ways of working. Leaders also invested time and resources to support staff and encourage collaboration with people.

Learning from external work was applied and embedded so that ways of working were continually evolving to reflect evidence-based best-practice.

The practice had a quality improvement plan in place to help drive improvements in services. All staff were encouraged to suggest and/or test out new ways of working. Practice leaders were able to provide many examples of improvements that had been made as a direct result of feedback or incidents.

We saw examples where staff had requested and been offered the opportunity to progress in their roles and/or add to their skills. These included clinical and non-clinical roles and included a wide range of options including on the job coaching to professional development qualifications.

The practice was a registered training practice and at the time of assessment there were trainee GPs (registrars) on placement. Feedback we received from them was that the standard of training, opportunities and clinical support they received was excellent.