St Peter's Medical Centre

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

We looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.

At our last assessment in October 2017, 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 service had a shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities. Information on the service’s vision and values was displayed in the staff room, supporting staff awareness and alignment with the organisation’s objectives and culture.

Staff were aware of the service vision and strategy, which was kept under review. The service demonstrated a good understanding of the challenges affecting its population and the wider local community. It recognised key local health and social care needs and was actively working with partner agencies to plan for and respond to current and future demand.

The service had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

The partnership consisted of 3 GP partners and an advanced nurse practitioner partner. The leadership team was stable, supporting continuity and consistent oversight of the service. Staff told us leaders in the service were approachable and responded to any concerns raised. Staff also told us leaders modelled the values of the service. We saw the leadership team worked with other services in the primary care network and were engaged in the development of primary care services within the local area.

The service fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

Staff told us that leaders and colleagues acted with openness and transparency. The service had established Freedom to Speak Up arrangements, both internally and externally with the local integrated care board. Staff were aware of how to raise concerns.

The service used a range of formal and informal methods to gather staff feedback. These included an annual wellbeing survey, regular departmental and weekly clinical meetings, formal appraisals, and significant event analysis (SEA) meetings to encourage reflection and learning. Communication and team engagement were further supported through service-wide messaging groups, an annual away day, and social events. Informal opportunities, such as daily walks with at least 1 partner, also promoted open communication and staff support.

The service valued diversity in their workforce. They work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them.

Policies and procedures to promote diversity and equality were in place. Adjustments had been made to ensure all staff were valued. The service promoted an inclusive workforce culture through regular communication and engagement.

The service had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

Leaders and managers supported staff, and all staff we spoke with were clear on their individual roles and responsibilities. Managers met with staff regularly to complete appraisals and performance reviews. This included internal appraisals for salaried GPs. The service had established governance processes that were appropriate for their service. Staff could access all required policies and procedures. Managers held regular meetings with staff, during which they discussed clinical concerns and emerging risks. Managers clearly recorded any actions arising from these meetings and ensured they shared these with staff. Staff took confidentiality and information security seriously.

The service understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

The service worked collaboratively with other services within their Primary Care Network (PCN) to improve access to services and address health inequalities. For example, a local service within the PCN offered Saturday phlebotomy services to support people across the network. In addition, the provider hosted a PCN GP to support the delivery of cardio-renal-metabolic (CRM) work as part of wider population health improvement initiatives.

The service had a proactive Patient Participation Group (PPG) that met face-to-face 4–5 times a year and ran additional online “Have Your Say” forums open to all patients to raise concerns or ask questions. Feedback was reviewed by the PPG and shared with the service to inform improvements. The service shared regular reports with the PPG, including updates on performance, staffing, patient feedback (including NHS and online reviews), waiting times, and ongoing projects. This supported transparency and patient involvement in service development and improvement.

The service focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contribute to safe, effective practice and research.

The service had a quality improvement plan in place to help drive improvements in services This focussed on access and improving healthcare outcomes. All staff were encouraged to put forward and test out new ways of working.

Leaders actively invested in staff development through educational meetings, ongoing in-house training and opportunities for upskilling across the workforce. For example, nursing staff were supported to undertake additional roles and qualifications, reflecting the service’s commitment to staff development and career progression.

The service was also a GP training practice with a strong focus on developing trainees through support and mentorship. Trainees were encouraged to grow and thrive, with some returning to work at the service as locums. Trainees were praised by people using the service and were described as modelling the ethos and values of the service.