Christchurch Family Medical Centre

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

We assessed all quality statements in the caring key question.

At our last assessment, we rated this key question as good. At this assessment, the rating remains the same.

We observed that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. People had a choice in their care and treatment. The service supported staff wellbeing.

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 service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity.

Staff understood and respected the personal, cultural, social, and religious needs of people. Staff told us they gave people appropriate and timely information to understand their care, treatment, or condition. Results from the national GP Patient Survey showed that people responded positively to the overall experience of their GP practice. The survey showed that patients felt during their last appointment, the healthcare professional was very good at listening to them; during their last appointment, the healthcare professional was very good at treating them with care and concern and during their last appointment, they had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to.

At this assessment we asked the practice to display the CQC give feedback on care poster, with a digital link for ease of use. We received feedback from 390 people about the practice. There were 207 positive responses about patient experience, with the majority commenting that the staff were helpful, listened to their concerns and treated them with kindness and respect. Negative feedback related to the difficulties with the eConsult booking system and access to GP appointments. However, most patients said that once they got an appointment, they received good care from helpful staff. Staff we spoke with understood Gillick competency (Gillick competency refers to the legal ability of a child under 16 to consent to medical treatment without parental consent, provided they have sufficient understanding and intelligence to appreciate the treatment's nature, risks, and alternatives) and there was a process to ensure young adults had control over their own privacy and the amount of parental involvement in managing their care and support.During our site visit, we observed staff to be friendly and supportive in their interactions with patients both at the reception desk and over the telephone. Conversations at the front desk could not be overheard when in the reception area. There were arrangements to promote patients’ privacy. For example, consultations were held in private with doors closed and there were areas in consulting rooms that could be curtained off to promote privacy.

The service 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. Staff understood and respected the personal, cultural, social and religious needs of patients. Patients were treated as individuals and staff were able to describe the reasonable adjustments, they made to support people’s specific needs.Patient communication needs were identified and documented in clinical records to ensure patients were fully involved in decisions about their care. The practice was accredited as an Armed Forces veteran-friendly GP practice and demonstrated a commitment to supporting vulnerable groups, clinical notes were coded to ensure easy identification. A dedicated Health and Wellbeing Coach provided social prescribing, and the Patient Assistant Team supported patients with complex needs, elderly and vulnerable patients. The practice had developed an innovative Hub model included a partner GP and a salaried GP who provided targeted support for patients presenting with mental health concerns. Staff demonstrated a respectful and compassionate approach, contributing to a welcoming and supportive environment. The practice carried out its own patient surveys, monitored feedback for themes, and acted where necessary. Results from the national GP Patient Survey were positive and above the national average, in relation to patients feeling they were involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment.

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff helped patients and their carers to access advocacy and community-based services. The practice supported patients to have choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing, and promote their independence. For example, childhood immunisations. Families were encouraged to take up the offer of vaccination for their child. Nurses took time to address their concerns, providing evidence-based guidance and signposting to credible sources of information. This helped families to make an informed choice for their child.Results from the national GP Patient Survey showed that 94.9% of children aged 2 had received immunisation for measles, mumps and rubella, exceeding the 90% minimum target. People could access information in the practice such as posters and leaflets and on the practice’s website to support them to make healthier choices. Staff helped patients and their carers to access advocacy and community-based services. The practice website detailed how to access information in alternative formats. For example, large print, screen readers and was fully compatible with assistive technology. The practice had a text relay service and audio induction loops for the hearing impaired or people who had a speech impediment. The practice could also arrange for British Sign Language interpreter.

The service 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, concern or distress.

There was a clear triage system to ensure that patients requiring urgent care were prioritised appropriately. During our site visit, we observed that on-the-day appointments were available for patients with urgent needs and routine appointments were available within 7 days. Staff were familiar with the process for referring patients to emergency support and were able to provide relevant examples of how this had been implemented. However, some patients reported difficulties accessing appointments. Analysis of patient feedback surveys provided by the practice, indicated that the electronic triage (e-triage) system scored an average of 2.1 out of 5 across most categories. In response, the practice had begun exploring alternative e-triage systems to simplify the process and improve patient experience. Leaders told us they regularly reviewed staffing to ensure there were enough clinicians to meet the needs of patients and were in the process of recruiting 2 additional GPs. The provider had recruited 7 new administrative team members and had established a multidisciplinary Hub to support with triaging patients and people with complex or urgent need, including mental health concerns.

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

Staff we spoke with reported that they were happy working at the practice and felt supported and valued by leaders. They described the leadership team as approachable and responsive, and said they could seek advice and guidance at any time. Staff reported being supported if they were struggling at work and told us they raised concerns about their wellbeing during annual appraisals or in regular meetings with team leaders. The practice supported professional development and career progression. For example, one staff member with a special interest in autism was enabled to undertake further training in this area. Some staff said they would like flexible or reduced working hours to support work-life balance, particularly in response to personal circumstances. A staff survey conducted by the practice in in December 2024, found that 64% of staff felt sometimes valued at work and 67% said their felt the individual relationship with managers was excellent. In staff interviews most staff reported that they felt valued by their team leaders and line managers and all staff highlighted the positive and collaborative nature of their teams.