Chelford Surgery

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 assessed all quality statements from this key question. At our last assessment, we rated this key question as good. The rating is now outstanding following the findings of this assessment.

The service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. Staff we spoke with or received feedback from demonstrated a highly caring and patient centred approach to their work. The practice received higher than average scores for patient satisfaction in the National GP patient survey for questions relating to this key question. A high percentage of respondents stated that during their last appointment, the healthcare professional was very good or fairly good at treating them with care and concern.

Patient feedback shared directly with CQC was highly positive in all cases. Staff were described as ‘caring’, ‘professional’, ‘sympathetic’ and ‘receptive’ and patients told us that staff in a range of roles were ‘friendly, ‘helpful’ and ‘great listeners’. Feedback we received from members of the PPG supported this.

The provider made staff welfare and wellbeing a priority and staff felt very well supported in their roles. The culture of the service was strongly patient centred and staff told us they worked exceptionally well as a team with a shared priority to provide a high quality and caring service to patients.

This service scored 90 (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 was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion.

Feedback from people who used the service was highly positive for being treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. People’s privacy and dignity was also well respected.

The experience of people who used the service as indicated in the National GP Patient survey showed that people felt listened to and were treated with care. For example, 96% of patients (compared to 85% nationally) felt that during their last appointments the healthcare professional was very good or fairly good at treating them with care and concern. The provider also shared feedback with us that they had received through the NHS Friends and Family test and this showed high patient satisfaction with the service.

Staff displayed understanding and a non-judgemental attitude towards people. Staff told us they gave people appropriate and timely information to understand their care, treatment, or condition. A common theme from patient feedback and noted in our discussions with members of the staff tea was that people were not rushed and were given time to discuss their issues and the care and treatment options available to them.

A total of 17 people who used the service shared their experience of the service with CQC directly. This included exceptionally positive feedback about the staff team and included staff in all roles. One person told us staff were sympathetic and sensitive to the patient. Another person told us ‘There is not one person there who isn't incredibly friendly, helpful, kind and compassionate.’

There were arrangements to ensure confidentiality in the reception area. For example, if people were distressed or wanted to speak to reception staff in confidence.

The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences.

Patients’ individual needs and equality characteristics were understood, and services were provided to meet these. Patients’ communication needs were identified and met to enable them to be fully involved in their care.

Staff had been provided with training in equal opportunities and staff we spoke with told us how they ensured the individual communication needs of patients were known and accommodated.

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

The result of the National GP patient survey showed that 96% of respondents (compared to 91% nationally) felt that during their last appointment they were involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment.

Patient feedback shared directly with CQC was also highly positive about their involvement in decisions about care and treatment.

The service was exceptional at responding to people’s immediate needs. There was a system for clinical triage of patients requiring an appointment that ensured people with immediate needs had rapid and easy access to the service. A duty doctor managed all appointment requests and provided a range of alternatives to patients to meet their immediate needs. Patients reported a very quick turn around in making contact with the service and their needs being met. The vast majority of people were managed on the day of contact with the service. The remaining were booked in for a more routine appointment in line with their needs. Patients were directed to the most appropriate person or service to meet their needs and ensure continuity of care where required.

Members of the team had been provided with training in basic life support including the signs and symptoms of sepsis. A recent example of staff having responded to the immediate needs of a patient was provided and the learning from this had been shared across the staff team.

The results of the GP National Patient Survey showed high levels of patient satisfaction with having their immediate needs met with 97% of respondents (compared to 83% nationally) feeling that they knew what the next step would be after contacting the practice.

Patient feedback shared directly with CQC was highly positive about how the service responded to their immediate needs. For example, one person told us they had ‘A very rapid response to triage on-line requests and also telephone communications’ and another person told us ‘More often than not appointments are same day or within 48 hours.’ Feedback from members of the PPG was exceptionally positive and supported all other feedback we received.

Staff carried out reviews and monitoring for people and altered their medicines to meet their changing needs.

Leaders told us they regularly reviewed staffing to ensure there were enough clinicians to meet the needs of people.

The service promoted the wellbeing of staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to deliver person-centred care. This included providing the necessary resources and facilities for safe working, training and professional development. Staff without exception were highly positive about working at the practice. They felt valued and supported by colleagues and leaders both professionally and personally. Staff who we spoke with or received feedback from without exception reported feeling very well supported in their role and felt that the provider listened to them, responded to their needs and considered their individual circumstances/support needs and supported flexible working when required.

Staff felt that the impact of being so well supported with their wellbeing resulted in them being a highly motivated workforce, with effective communication and team working and the impact of this supported a culture and environment that was highly patient centred.

The provider told us about some of the systems they had in place for supporting staff and provided a number of good examples whereby staff views and feedback had been listened to, carefully considered and used to drive change. Staff wellbeing had been the subject of a training session and a wellbeing toolkit had been devised.