Practice Plus Group Surgical Centre, Devizes

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

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained the same. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

We have not awarded this service a score for Caring.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Caring.

The evidence showed a good standard. The centre always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff treated people with kindness, compassion and respect. During the inspection, we observed staff interacting with patients in a warm, caring and professional manner. Staff listened attentively to patients, took time to understand their individual circumstances and responded to their needs with empathy and sensitivity. Interactions were person-centred and demonstrated a genuine commitment to supporting people through their care and treatment.

Patients spoke positively about their experiences of care and consistently described staff as friendly, approachable and supportive. Feedback from patients and their relatives highlighted the positive impact staff had on their experience, with many commenting on the compassion, reassurance and emotional support they received throughout their treatment journey.

The centre used patient feedback to monitor people's experiences of care. The Friends and Family Test summary report for April 2026 showed that 98% of respondents rated their experience of the service as good. Patients frequently described staff as "lovely", "kind" and "caring", demonstrating that compassionate care was embedded within the culture of the service.

The service also took steps to ensure people could communicate effectively and maintain their dignity and independence when accessing care. Patients who required language interpretation or sign language support were able to access language line video remote interpreting. This enabled patients to communicate with staff through qualified interpreters in real time, supporting understanding, informed decision-making and personalised care. The use of video interpretation also allowed visual communication through facial expressions and body language, helping staff to deliver compassionate and inclusive care that respected people's individual communication needs.

The evidence showed a good standard. 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 centre took a personalised approach to care and treatment, ensuring people's individual needs, preferences and circumstances were understood and reflected throughout their care pathway. Individual needs and reasonable adjustments were discussed with patients and, where appropriate, their carers or family members before their first outpatient appointment or during the pre-operative assessment process, depending on what best met the person's needs.

The centre had processes to identify and respond to people with disabilities, learning differences and additional support needs. Staff demonstrated confidence in recognising when reasonable adjustments were required and worked collaboratively with patients and their next of kin or carers to develop tailored support arrangements.

Reasonable adjustments were made to help people access care and treatment in a way that suited their individual needs. These included offering appointments at quieter times of the day, extending appointment lengths, supporting carers or family members to remain with patients during their admission, providing information in alternative formats and adapting the care pathway where necessary.

Patients and carers were encouraged to visit the centre before appointments or surgery. These familiarisation visits helped people become comfortable with the environment, reduced anxiety and enabled staff to better understand individual preferences and support needs before treatment commenced.

This person-centred approach ensured care was tailored to the individual, promoted equality of access and enabled patients to receive care and treatment in a way that respected their preferences, needs and circumstances.

The evidence showed a good standard. The centre promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

The centre supported people to make informed choices and maintain control over decisions about their care and treatment. Patients were offered choice throughout their treatment pathway, including flexibility around admission dates for day-case procedures. Patients were routinely offered at least three reasonable admission dates, with at least two options provided more than two weeks in advance and within referral to treatment (RTT) timescales. Patient preferences, choices and any requests to defer treatment were documented within the patient administration system.

Patients were encouraged to be actively involved in decisions about their care. On the day of surgery, consultants discussed treatment options with patients, including the benefits and risks of different anaesthetic approaches. These discussions took account of patients' preferences and enabled decisions to be made collaboratively, ensuring the chosen approach reflected both clinical need and individual choice.

Staff created an environment where patients felt able to ask questions, seek clarification and discuss any concerns. Patients were provided with the information they needed to understand their options and make informed decisions about their care and treatment. This supported shared decision-making and helped people maintain independence, choice and control throughout their care journey.

The evidence showed a good standard. The centre 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.

The centre had systems to identify and respond promptly to changes in patients' needs. Staff completed and reviewed individual risk assessments, including falls and pressure damage risk assessments, to ensure patients' needs were recognised and managed throughout their care.

We observed staff providing care in a responsive and person-centred manner. Patients were closely monitored before and after surgery, and staff responded promptly to requests for assistance, pain relief and comfort measures. This helped minimise discomfort and ensured patients received support when they needed it.

The service used multidisciplinary planning to anticipate and respond to people’s immediate and changing needs. We observed detailed discussions during scheduling meetings where staff reviewed individual patient requirements and agreed actions to support safe care. For example, staff discussed a patient who required additional support during their admission and developed a plan to ensure appropriate arrangements were in place.

The centre also had arrangements to respond effectively to deteriorating patients and medical emergencies. Resuscitation documentation demonstrated that emergency alert calls were reviewed and managed daily, providing assurance that systems were in place to support a timely response when patients required urgent assistance.

These arrangements helped ensure patients received coordinated, responsive care and that emerging risks or changing needs were identified and addressed promptly throughout their treatment journey.

The evidence showed a good standard. The centre cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

The centre promoted a positive working culture where staff felt valued, supported and engaged. Staff spoke positively about working at the centre and described feeling proud to be part of their team. Staff survey results demonstrated that 83% of theatre staff felt the organisation cared about their health, safety and wellbeing.

Staff had access to a range of well-being support services to help maintain their physical and emotional health, including occupational health services. In addition, the organisation had trained mental health first aiders who were available to provide support, recognise when staff may require additional assistance and signpost them to wellbeing resources.

Leaders supported staff development and career progression. Annual appraisals included discussions about professional development, learning opportunities and future career aspirations, enabling staff to identify how their development could be supported by the organisation.

The centre encouraged staff engagement and involvement in service improvement. Regular staff briefings were held to share information and updates, and staff were actively involved in rapid improvement week initiatives. These provided opportunities for staff to identify areas for improvement, share ideas, highlight successes and implement quick-win changes to enhance patient care and operational performance.

Leaders were also taking steps to strengthen visibility and engagement with staff. A new ‘Coffee with the Hospital Director’ initiative was being introduced from May 2026, providing an informal forum for staff to raise concerns, share feedback and discuss ideas directly with senior leaders. This supported open communication and helped ensure staff voices were heard in the development of the service.