Dr's H.C. Ash, K.A. Harris & J.E. Hirst Also known as Dearne Valley Health Centre

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 practice 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 79 (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 practice was exceptional at ensuring people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

The practice performed better than both local and national averages in the results of the 2025 National GP Patient Survey. Patients could access services when they needed it, in a way that suited their needs, such as by telephone, in person or through the practice’s website. For example, 92% of respondents to the Survey described their overall experience of contacting their GP as positive, compared to the local and national average of 70%. The percentage of respondents who responded positively to how easy it was to contact their GP practice on the phone was significantly higher than the national average, 92%, compared to 53%.

Patients we spoke with or who submitted feedback during our assessment confirmed this. Words used to describe the practice included; I have never had a problem contacting them or getting a appointment by phone or going to the practice; Rang Dearne Valley Health Centre today to re-order my prescription, brilliant experience, very pleasant lady on telephone, my repeat prescription ordered in no time; The whole practice is excellent and goes above and beyond to ensure their patients are getting the best service; and In my opinion this is the best doctors in our area always get a call back or an appointment on the same day.

The practice had a new telephony system which had call metric functionality to monitor call waiting times and abandonment rates. This provided managers with data to identify times of high demand so they could adjust how staff were deployed. The practice had adopted a system of same-day urgent triage which made processes faster and simpler. However, they maintained patients’ preferences and ensured they could contact the practice in a way that worked for them whether that be in person, by telephone or online.

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 treated people equally and without discrimination, they understood the importance of providing an inclusive approach to care and made adjustments to support equity in patients’ experience and outcomes. Processes to ensure people could register at the service, including those in vulnerable circumstances such as homeless people were in place. Staff supported those with additional needs, this included patients with language and communication needs, via access to translation and interpretation services.

The practice had made a decision to move to 15-minute GP appointments as standard, but these could be extended as necessary. Adjustments were made to accommodate patients’ needs, for example, offering appointments at the start of a clinical session. In addition, we saw that the practice delivered services to elderly or more vulnerable patients within the community. For example, they supported patients who resided in 2 local care homes. Services offered to these patients included regular site visits, ad hoc call outs, and structured communication with care home managers to ensure services were appropriate, or if changes to care and treatment was required.

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.