Castle Medical Group

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 71 (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 did not always make sure people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.
Feedback from patients indicated that people did not always find it easy to access the service. Results from the 2026 GP Patient Survey showed that 58% of respondents had a positive experience of contacting the practice, compared with the national average of 72%. In addition, 43% of respondents said it was easy to contact the practice by telephone, compared with the national average of 57%.
The service had taken steps to reduce barriers to accessing care. Patients could access support through a range of routes, including online services, telephone contact and face-to-face support. Staff supported patients who were unable to use digital systems and could complete online requests on their behalf where appropriate.
The premises were accessible and included accessible parking, wheelchair access, accessible toilet facilities, hearing loop technology and translation services. The service had also made reasonable adjustments to support people with additional needs, including a quiet area for autistic patients and arrangements to support people with sensory impairments during emergencies.
These findings demonstrated that, although the service had considered the needs of different groups of people and taken steps to improve access, patients did not always experience timely access to care and treatment when they needed it.

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 understood the importance of providing an inclusive approach to care and made adjustments to support equity in people's experiences and outcomes. The service had arrangements in place to support patients who may experience barriers to care, including access to translation services, hearing loop technology, a quiet area for autistic patients and support for patients who were unable to access digital services.
Leaders reviewed information about people's experiences through complaints, Friends and Family Test feedback and the National GP Patient Survey. They used this information to identify areas for improvement and understand the needs of the local population. The service recognised that some areas, particularly access to services, required further improvement and had taken steps to review these concerns.
Feedback from patients about the care they received was generally positive. Results from the 2026 GP Patient Survey showed that 95% of respondents felt they were involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment, compared with the national average of 92%.
These arrangements helped the service to understand and respond to people's differing needs and experiences and support more equitable outcomes for patients.
 

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.