The Village Surgery

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

We looked for evidence that staff involved people in decisions about their care and treatment and provided them advice and support. Staff regularly reviewed people’s care and worked with other services to achieve this.

We assessed all quality statements in the effective key question. At our last inspection, we rated this key question as Good. Following this inspection, 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 made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them. People told us they felt involved in their care.

The service took time to understand people’s communication preferences and recorded these in patient records. Adjustments were in place, including interpreters, multiple communication formats, and accessibility functions on the service website.

The service planned and delivered people’s care and treatment in line with legislation, evidence-based guidance and best practice. Staff had access to current guidelines and used these to support decision-making. Clinical audits and reviews of significant events were used to identify opportunities for improvement.

Staff were supported to keep their clinical practice up to date through training and regular updates on evidence-based guidance. This included updates on relevant guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and other national best practice recommendations. Clinical teams had access to resources and in-house sessions to ensure care delivery reflected current standards and supported safe, effective outcomes for people.

The service worked effectively across teams and with other organisations to support people. Staff had access to the information they needed to plan and deliver care.

Staff, teams and services worked closely together to support effective care and treatment. Information was shared in a timely way with members of the multidisciplinary team, ensuring everyone had access to the details they needed when they needed them. This supported co-ordination of care and helped people experience smoother transitions between different services. Care homes contacted the service promptly when new residents arrived, enabling continuity of care for vulnerable people. The service supported transitions from paediatric to adult services, including for conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Social prescribers contacted people recently discharged from hospital to identify any additional needs.

People said their care was well coordinated, and external professionals told us the service communicated well and was responsive to requests.

The service supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise independence, choice and control. Staff promoted healthy lifestyles through personalised care planning, social prescribing and access to community services.

The service introduced several innovative projects to help people live healthier lives. It was partnered with the voluntary organisation Help and Care to deliver the Help Overcoming Problems Effectively (HOPE) programme. This six-week course provided group sessions for people to build confidence, improve wellbeing and take charge of their health. People reported the sessions gave them practical tools to manage long-term conditions, reduce isolation and build resilience.

A dedicated Mental Health Practitioner was embedded within the local primary care network to provide early assessment and intervention for people experiencing mental distress. This reduced waiting times for mental health support and allowed more joined-up care-planning between GPs, talking therapies and community teams. People told us they valued having “someone to talk to straight away” and felt more supported to manage their mental health. Staff described the practitioner’s role as “transformative” in improving timely access and continuity of support.

The service was registered as a ‘Parkrun Practice’, actively encouraging people to participate in weekly community running events to support physical activity, social connection and wellbeing. Staff attended local parkruns alongside participants, modelling healthy behaviours and strengthening community relationships. People told us they appreciated the friendly encouragement and felt more motivated to stay active. This initiative demonstrated how the service embedded prevention and wellbeing into everyday community life.

Staff focused on identifying risks to peoples’ health, including those in the last 12 months of their lives, people at risk of developing a long-term condition and those with caring responsibilities. Staff supported national priorities and initiatives to improve population health, including stopping smoking and tackling obesity.

The service routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to drive improvement. Standardised processes supported long-term condition management, and regular reviews ensured people did not fall through gaps in care.

Performance was monitored using a digital data tool, with quarterly reviews by a dedicated group of clinicians and managers. This informed both short-term actions and longer-term planning.

The service involved people in decisions about their care and treatment and respected their rights around consent. Staff understood and applied legislation relating to the Mental Capacity Act and could describe how they assessed capacity in practice.

Training in consent and mental capacity was mandatory for all clinicians. Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions reviewed as part of this inspection were recorded in line with legislation and discussed with people and families.

The service had clear governance arrangements for data protection and consent, led by the service manager and a Caldicott Guardian. A new standard operating procedure was introduced to support staff in managing third-party consent, and a patient-friendly flyer was developed to help people understand their rights.