Sefton Ave Surgery Also known as Mulberry Medical Practice

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

We looked for evidence that the practice involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

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 practice supported staff wellbeing.

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.

The practice treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

National GP Patient Survey data reflected people felt listened to and were treated with kindness. The practice had recently completed a staff wellbeing survey. Staff told us they felt supported by the leaders and that any concerns they had were listened to.

The practice treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Patients’ personal, cultural, social, religious and equality characteristics needs were understood and met. Patient communication needs were met to enable them to be fully involved in their care. People had access to translation services.

All staff had training in supporting neurodiverse patients or those with a learning disability and offered longer appointments at quieter times of the day.

71% of patients felt the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at considering their mental wellbeing during their last general practice appointment, compared with 72% locally and 74% nationally.

Staff were up to date with chaperone training, and we saw notices displayed in waiting and clinical areas to support this. However, the practice did not have a hearing loop at two of their three sites. Following the site visit, the practice purchased additional hearing loops to support people visiting the practice.

The practice promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. The practice supported people to understand their rights by using different ways to communicate.

Staff helped patients and their carers to access advocacy and community-based services. The practice has a social prescriber employed within the Primary Care Network (PCN) who is engaged in supporting vulnerable people to access additional support and to signpost them to other services.

Results from the National GP Patient Survey found 91% of patients stated that during their last appointment, they were involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment, which is in line with the local average with 90% and national average of 91%.

The practice listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort.

There was a system for appointment triage that ensured people with immediate needs had access to services. The practice used an online triage system that enabled patients to submit an online triage form that would be reviewed by a clinician to help decide if an appointment was required and to determine clinical urgency. Staff we spoke with knew the process for referral to emergency support, including mental health crisis teams.

Staff had received appropriate training in basic life support and demonstrated an understanding of how to respond to a medical emergency. Sepsis awareness posters were clearly displayed in the reception area to support early recognition and escalation of potential concerns.

The practice cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff told us they were valued by leaders. Leaders had taken steps to recognise and meet the wellbeing needs of staff, which included the necessary resources and facilities for safe working, such as regular breaks and rest areas. Staff reported being supported if they were struggling at work.

Staff told us they enjoyed working at the practice. Overall, staff described good working relationships with other staff and felt able to ask each other for support or advice when it was needed. The practice had undertaken a staff survey to understand the experience of staff. Monthly staff newsletters included staff updates, and the practice had introduced an “Employee of the Month” initiative, with rewards, to support team building and improve staff morale.