Woolpit Health Centre Also known as Dr Pearson & Partners

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, 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.

The practice 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.

All staff spoken with were aware of the practice vision and strategy. The practice had experienced a rapid increase in their registered patient list and were aware of projected further increases in the local population. They were working with partner agencies to address these future challenges.

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.

Staff told us leaders in the practice was approachable and responded to any concerns raised.

Leaders had specific roles and responsibilities, and staff we spoke with knew who the designated leaders were. Leaders had an open-door policy and had regular engagement with staff through team meetings. Staff could submit staff suggestions anonymously, however all staff we spoke with advised they were able raise any suggestions or concerns in person. Examples of changes in response to staff feedback included moving administrative staff to a new location away from where the phones were being answered, providing a quieter space. A monthly newsletter was provided to staff. Staff told us leaders were approachable and responded to any concerns or suggestions raised.

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

All staff members spoken with told us leaders were visible, approachable and they felt able to share their views. They were also aware of the Freedom to Speak up arrangements and how to raise concerns. All staff had completed Freedom to Speak Up training.

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 and the staff team had undertaken training in this area. There was a reasonable adjustment policy, and all staff had completed this training.

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 act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and share this securely with others when appropriate.

The practice had established governance processes that were appropriate for their service. Staff could access all required policies and procedures. There were clear arrangements to ensure business continuity in a range of emergency circumstances.

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.

Leaders and managers held regular practice, partner, clinical and governance 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 patient confidentiality and information security seriously.

The practice had a period of rapid patient list expansion and were in discussion regarding ways to make the premises more efficient to take account of demand.

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

One of the GP Partners was the Clinical Director of the Blackbourne Primary Care Network (PCN). (PCNs are groups of GP practices who work together to improve primary care services). The practice worked with 3 other practices in the PCN and were engaged in the development of primary care services within the local area. For example, they provided an enhanced leg ulcer service as part of the PCN, with delivery undertaken by individual practices.

Leaders also worked in partnership with their PPG to share updates with members to help ensure information was passed to the patients at the practice. The PPG established ‘listening tables’ to speak with people about changes at the practice and fed this back to the leadership team. Changes made as a result of this included the approach to appointments whereby all people completed an online form even if they called or turned up at the door, to ensure a fair and equitable system of allocation.

Partners agencies we received feedback from were positive about the practice and the engagement and responsiveness of staff.

The service had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always 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 practice was an approved training practice for and had 7 GP Registrars (qualified doctors training to become GPs) and 3 Foundation Year 2 (registered with the General Medical Council and in the second year of postgraduate training) doctors.

The practice had a 10 year history of involvement in clinical research and was accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) as ResearchReady. It worked in collaboration with an East of England research body and 3 GPs within the practice had undertaken training specific to the role of research. The practice had participated in a wide range of studies in a wide variety of areas.

The practice was involved in pilot projects to meet the needs of the patient population by trying out new ways of working. For example, they had introduced a virtual care navigator who asked specific questions and forwarded the information to the triage team in the hub via the online appointment system. The virtual care navigator could respond to multitudes of calls at the same time, with the aim of reducing call waiting times for patients and improving access to the practice.

The practice had worked with local organisations to develop a digital means to support GP trainees and others in the understanding of rural mental health care, by using programmed virtual reality headsets. This was particularly in relation to mental health and suicide prevention among farmers and the farming community.

The practice developed their staff team, by identifying appropriate learning with them and encouraging them to undertake this. Examples of this were seen. All partners had areas of interest which staff told us fed into the primary care offered.

The practice had a 24-hour medication collection point via a vending machine outside the building to address demand for the dispensary. Patients were provided with a code to enter into the machine to access their medication and could do this day or night.

The service completed clinical audits to ensure the quality and safety of people’s care and treatment was effectively monitored.