Medlock Medical Practice

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 that Medlock Medical Practice met people’s needs, and that staff treated people equally and without discrimination.

At our last assessment, we rated this key question as Requires Improvement. At this assessment, the rating has changed.

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.

Medlock Medical Practice made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

Care plans reflected physical, mental, emotional, and social needs of patients including those related to protected characteristics under the Equality Act. Our review of clinical records showed patients were supported to understand their condition and were involved in planning for their care needs. They were also involved in decisions about their care.

The service had a good understanding of the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

We saw Medlock Medical Practice worked in partnership with other services to meet the needs of its patient population. Medlock Medical Practice had tailored its services to meet the diverse needs of its community, for example, building relationships with community groups to promote the take up of screening programmes.

The practice had well-developed links with local community organisations to provide care to homeless persons, veterans, asylum seekers, and provided food bank access.

Medlock Medical Practice supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

Medlock Medical Practice had access to interpreter services, including British Sign Language. Information provided by Medlock Medical Practice met the Accessible Information Standard. Patients were informed as to how to access their care records.

Medlock Medical Practice made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. They involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

We saw complaints were managed in line with Medlock Medical Practice’s policy. Learning from complaints was evident and staff were able to identify changes made as a result of patient feedback, including complaints.

Medlock Medical Practice made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

In response to the National GP Patient Survey data and feedback from members of the community the provider had identified changes to improve access to Medlock Medical Practice. For example, they had extended appointments for people with a learning disability and provided Saturday morning clinics aimed at parents who struggled to bring infants in during the week. People could access Medlock Medical Practice to suit their needs for example online, in person and by telephone.

The practice and treatment rooms were situated on the first floor, however this could be accessed via multiple lifts, as well as a staircase. The building and practice entrance were fitted with automatic doors.

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

Feedback provided by people using Medlock Medical Practice, both to the provider as well as to CQC, was positive. Staff treated people equally and without discrimination. Leaders proactively sought ways to address any barriers to improving people’s experience and worked with local organisations, including within the voluntary sector, to address any local health inequalities. Staff understood the importance of providing an inclusive approach to care and made adjustments to support equity in people’s experience and outcomes. The provider had processes to ensure people could register at Medlock Medical Practice, including those in vulnerable circumstances such as homeless people and asylum seekers. Staff used appropriate systems to capture and review feedback from people using Medlock Medical Practice, including those who did not speak English or have access to the internet.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

Our records review showed people were supported to consider their wishes for their end-of-life care, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This information was shared with other services when necessary.