- GP practice
Black Country Family Practice
Report from 3 September 2025 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 21 October 2025 to 22 October 2025. Black Country Family Practice is a GP practice and delivers services to 14000 patients under a contract held with NHS England. The National General Practice Profiles states that 69.26% of patients are White, 18.54% Asian, 6.52% Black, 3.54% Mixed and 2.14% Other. Information published by Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that deprivation within the practice population group is in the 2nd decile (2 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the practice population is relative to others. This assessment considered the demographics of the people using the service, the context the service was working within and how this impacted service delivery. Where relevant, further commentary is provided in the quality statements section of this report.
The practice is part of the Modality Partnership, an organisation operating across Sandwell, Birmingham, Walsall, Wokingham, Hull, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven, Lewisham and East Surrey, providing NHS services to more than 410,000 patients. The partnership operates a corporate based organisational structure consisting of a national board, an executive divisional board, operational and clinical management groups, as well as management leads within these divisions.
SAFE: Staff managed the majority of medicines well, but improvements were needed in the management of medicines that required regular monitoring. Effective processes for the recruitment of staff were in place to ensure all the appropriate checks had been completed prior to commencing employment. There was a good learning culture and people could raise concerns. Managers investigated incidents thoroughly and processes were in place to ensure learning was shared with all the team to mitigate future risks. People were protected and kept safe. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. Managers made sure staff received training and regular appraisals to maintain high-quality care.
EFFECTIVE: We found the care and treatment of people had improved, with long term condition management strengthened to provide patients with regular reviews. The leadership team had systems which assured the competence of staff employed in advanced clinical practice. People were involved in assessments of their needs. Staff reviewed assessments taking account of people’s communication, personal and health needs. Care was based on latest evidence and good practice. Staff worked with all agencies involved in people’s care for the best outcomes and smooth transitions when moving between services. Staff made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent. Staff involved those important to people and took decisions in people’s best interests where they did not have capacity.
CARING: People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. People had choice in their care and treatment. The service supported staff wellbeing.
RESPONSIVE: We found the practice had implemented processes to improve patient satisfaction in accessing services, however patient feedback demonstrated that people continued to face difficulties in getting appointments. This was also reflected in the results of the GP national patient survey. We were unable to gain assurances from people we spoke with that they were aware of how to give feedback. People were involved in decisions about their care. The service provided information people could understand. People received fair and equal care and treatment. The service worked to reduce health and care inequalities through training and feedback. People were involved in planning their care and understood options around choosing to withdraw or not receive care.
WELL-LED: There were governance processes and effective systems in place to identify, manage and mitigate risks. Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff 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. There was a culture of continuous improvement with staff given time and resources to try new ideas.
People's experience of this service
We received mixed reviews from people about the quality of their care and treatment. Recent survey results, including from the National GP Patient Survey and the NHS Friends and Family Test, showed people were generally satisfied with services, however accessing the service by phone continued to be a concern. There was a patient participation group (PPG) who represented the views of people using the service. We spoke with the PPG on the day of the onsite assessment and received mixed responses on the services provided.