Bowling Highfield 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

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.

Staff received additional training to support specific population groups, including people with a learning disability or autism. At the time of the assessment, the practice had 135 patients on its learning disability register. The practice actively identified and engaged with these patients, their carers, and families, using flexible approaches such as longer appointments or home visits when needed.

Care delivery reflected patients’ physical, mental, emotional, and social needs, including those related to protected characteristics under the Equality Act. The practice respected individual preferences and, where possible, offered patients a choice between face-to-face or telephone consultations.

The practice understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. Staff told us they offered same-day appointments for emergencies and in some cases for routine care.

Patients could also access social prescribing services. These were available for face-to-face clinics and phone appointments. They offered help with debt and housing issues, food banks and general poverty issues.

The practice recorded information, such as whether a patient required a longer appointment, on the patient record home screen.

The practice provided care to 2 care homes, the practice had created protocols for each home. This included regular visits and collaborative meetings with care home staff to support residents' health needs.

The practice offered extended access appointments at one of their sites and patients could access weekend appointment through the central hub.

There were established mechanisms for engaging with the community healthcare providers, information was available on a range of services people could access or self-refer to, which included carer support, drug and alcohol, and mental health services.

The practice made reasonable adjustments to support communication, this included the use of interpreter services, and larger print documents. The practice noted individuals’ communication needs on their patient records.

Information was displayed on noticeboards throughout the practice, which leaders advised was regularly updated to reflect topical issues. The practice maintained a detailed and user-friendly website, which included news and updates, appointment booking guidance, online access, and dedicated pages for the Patient Participation Group.

Adjustments were made to support the communication needs of patients; this included the use of translation and interpretation services, the availability of hearing loops, although this was only at the branch site, and the provision of easy read materials. Individual communication needs were noted on the patient’s record where relevant. We saw that information provided by the service met the Accessible Information Standard.

The practice made reasonable adjustments to support communication, this included the use of interpreter services, and larger print documents. The practice noted individuals’ communication needs on their patient records.

Information was displayed on noticeboards throughout the practice, which leaders advised was regularly updated to reflect topical issues. The practice maintained a detailed and user-friendly website, which included news and updates, appointment booking guidance, online access, and dedicated pages for the Patient Participation Group.

Adjustments were made to support the communication needs of patients; this included the use of translation and interpretation services, the availability of hearing loops, although this was only at the branch site, and the provision of easy read materials. Individual communication needs were noted on the patient’s record where relevant. We saw that information provided by the service met the Accessible Information Standard.

The practice made sure people could access care, support and treatment, but there were ongoing challenges. The 2025 National GP Patient Survey received 92 responses (20% completion rate). Only 17% of patients found it easy to get through by phone, compared to local and national averages of 51% and 53%. In addition, 48% felt they waited the right amount of time for their last appointment, below the local average of 69% and national average of 67%. The practice acknowledged these concerns and had implemented measures to improve accessfor example introducing a cloud-based telephone system, but there was limited evidence of impact at the time of inspection.

The practice offered a range of appointments with GPs, nurses, advanced nurse practitioners, healthcare assistants, phlebotomists and pharmacists. Urgent cases were seen on the same day, and patients with less urgent conditions were offered an appointment within one working day. Routine appointments typically available within 2 to 5 days. Enhanced access clinics were provided twice weekly between 18:30 and 21:30, offering services such as medication reviews and young people’s counselling.

Patients could book appointments online, by phone, or in person. Both sites operated Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, with extended access available at the main site on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6.30pm to 9.30pm. Parking, including disabled spaces, was available at both locations. Appointment types included routine GP consultations, urgent same-day appointments, medication reviews, chronic disease management, phlebotomy, and counselling services for young people.

To support equity, vulnerable patients were flagged on the clinical system, and palliative care patients had a dedicated phone number to avoid waiting in call queues. The practice participated in an NHS initiative[LT2] introducing phased changes to booking systems to increase availability of acute and routine appointments. Patients were informed of these changes and invited to a coffee morning to explain the new digital triage system. The practice developed a team that dealt with digital triage submissions. Staff assisted patients unable to complete online forms, ensuring no one was excluded. The practice also worked closely with its Primary Care Network (PCN) to improve access. This involved trialling a range of roles, such as mental health practitioners, social prescribers, and pharmacists employed by the PCN. Working collaboratively within the PCN, the practice evaluated the impact of these roles and embedded those that provided the greatest benefit to the patients and the practice.

Both sites were physically accessible. The main site had an automatic front door and a lift to access clinical rooms across floors. The branch site had ground-floor clinical rooms, but the automatic front door was broken at the time of inspection. Reception staff monitored the entrance and assisted patients as needed. The branch site waiting area lacked chairs with arms.

Staff and leaders actively listened to feedback from people most likely to experience inequality in care and tailored services to meet their needs. Staff completed equality and diversity training and understood the importance of inclusive care.

Leaders took proactive steps to remove barriers and improve patient experience. The provider had systems in place to support registration for all patients, including those with no fixed abode. Staff used appropriate methods to gather feedback, including from people who did not speak English or lacked internet access.

Staff made reasonable adjustments to support equitable care, such as offering longer appointments and using interpreters. A private area was available for confidential conversations with reception staff when requested.

The practice worked independently and in partnership with others to meet the needs of vulnerable and complex patients. For example, they supported patients across three care homes through regular visits, ad hoc callouts, and structured meetings with care home managers to review and adapt services.

The practice offered a range of health checks, including NHS health checks, new patient checks, and learning disability health checks.

Patients 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.

We saw that ReSPECT (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) forms were completed in line with guidance.