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

We looked for evidence the service met people’s needs, and staff treated people equally and without discrimination. 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.

We did not look at Person-centred Care during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Care provision, Integration and continuity during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Providing Information during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Listening to and involving people during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

The service made sure people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

The 2025 National GP Patient Survey showed that 82% of respondents described their overall experience of contacting this service as being good, which was above the national average of 70%. However, in the same survey, 45% responded positively to how easy it was to contact the GP practice on the phone, which was lower than the national average of 53%. In addition, the service also received people’s feedback regarding long waits for GP appointments.

Leaders recognised these challenges and launched a new triage system in February 2026 to improve access. The service implemented additional measures such as contracting an external remote telephone answering service to help with answering calls to shorten the call queuing time. The service monitored the effectiveness of these changes through performance data and feedback from people using the service. People’s feedback showed their medical requests were responded to very quickly and a PPG representative commented access had greatly improved following the system changes. The service also reviewed call quality to ensure it met the required standards.

People could contact the service online, over the telephone and in person. Reception staff helped people to fill in the medical request forms online if they were unable to do so. All medical requests, regardless of how they were received, were processed through the same triage process on the same day by duty doctors based on clinical needs and urgency.

During our onsite visit, we saw appointments were available to book on the same day for urgent appointments. The service provided pre-booked appointments on some weekdays and Saturdays to enhance access for working people and others who were unable to attend during normal opening hours. The service monitored and reviewed appointment data weekly and adjusted the types of available appointments based on people’s needs.

The service provided walk-in minor injuries service to treat non-life-threatening injuries, helping people to get necessary care locally.

There was level access to the premises and automatic door had been fitted to the entrance to ensure ease of access to the service. Treatment rooms and most of the clinical rooms were on the ground floor. People could use the lift to access clinical rooms on the first floor. A wheelchair was available for people with mobility needs. The service was equipped with hearing loop system for people with hearing impairment.

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

Staff treated people equally and without discrimination. Leaders proactively sought ways to address any barriers to improving people’s experience and worked with local services to address any local health inequalities. For example, the service actively involved people with additional needs when planning the launch of the new triage system to ensure the service remained accessible to them. Members of the PPG were consulted throughout the process, and their feedback was listened to and acted on to help ensure the system met people's needs. Another example was that the service recognised additional health needs of their rural farming community. The service submitted a proposal to apply for grant to support outreach service such as health check for the local farming community.

Staff understood the importance of providing an inclusive approach to care and made adjustments to support equity in people’s experience and outcomes. The service used digital flags within the care records system to highlight any specific individual needs to alert staff. The service shared an example of a staff member raising a concern about an individual's needs not being fully met. The issue was reviewed during a management meeting to promote learning, reflection, and continuous improvement.

Staff followed processes to ensure people could register at the service, including those in vulnerable circumstances such as homeless people and Travellers.

The service was an accredited veteran-friendly practice. The service supported veteran’s physical and mental health, and they could be referred to dedicated specialist healthcare services when required.

Staff used systems to capture and review feedback from people who used the service, which included those who did not have access to the internet. Feedback provided by people using the service, both to the service and to CQC, was mostly positive.

We did not look at Planning for the future during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.