Newport Pagnell Medical Centre

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

People were treated with kindness, compassion and empathy. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. People had choice in their care and treatment. The service supported staff wellbeing.

The service always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

The Community Matron facilitated an open Carers Group at a local community hall, giving carers of patients with dementia a safe space to meet other carers. Working with the ICB, the practice had developed digital methods to identify previously unknown carers and offer support. Through this,18,500 messages were delivered and 250 unpaid carers self-identified and accessed support.

At our last assessment, we rated this key question as good. At this assessment, the rating has remained as good.

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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion, although National GP Patient Survey data reflected people did not always feel listened to, treated with care and concern, or have trust and confidence in the last clinician they saw or spoke to.

In response to this, the practice had completed their own survey. They received 1,027 responses from patients who had recently accessed the service. Analysis was still underway, and once complete, would be shared with the PPG. Survey results indicated that there had been progress in the last year, with patients commenting that they had noticed significant improvements. They said that staff were polite, professional and friendly.

Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. Care home representatives gave examples of when staff had gone above and beyond what was expected to ensure patients and care home staff were treated with kindness, compassion and dignity.

Staff we spoke with understood Gillick competency 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.

People were treated as individuals and their care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The practice took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

The environment promoted inclusivity through quiet waiting spaces, gender-specific clinician requests and specialised Saturday clinics for patients with a learning disability, to reduce stress and anxiety. The pre-diabetes clinic was held during the evenings and online, to expand uptake amongst those of working age and the menopause clinic was held in the local community centre to facilitate local involvement. Moreover, unidentified carers were proactively identified through innovative, digital means which meaningfully increased identification to enable ongoing support.

The provider gave examples of how they treated patients as individuals. One example involved a Health and Wellbeing Coach supporting a neurodiverse patient by identifying their social and support needs. This led to the patient joining an employment course and receiving ongoing mental health support. Together, they also explored ways the patient could engage more meaningfully with their community.

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

The Community Matron, employed by the practice, provided a weekly Carers’ Clinic. This offered carers dedicated support, including health checks. The Community Matron also facilitated an open Carers Group at a local community hall, giving carers of patients with dementia a safe space to meet other carers. They could bring their dependants and was open to carers from across the locality, not just the practice. We reviewed four feedback forms, all of which indicated that the attendee would use the service again, calling the clinic ‘vital’.

Working with the ICB, the practice had developed digital methods to identify previously unknown carers and offer support. Through this, 18,500 messages were delivered and 250 unpaid carers self-identified and accessed support.

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.

The service had an effective system for appointment triage covering all three sites to ensure equity in access. The team combined compassionate listening with practical adjustments. Priority access, called VIP access, was available for vulnerable patients so that they could access the service when they needed to. Care home representatives told us that they had dedicated communication channels to ensure any urgent queries, concerns or requests could be prioritised.

The service consistently prioritised staff wellbeing and excelled in supporting staff to deliver person‑centred care. A staff feedback box was maintained and regularly reviewed by management, and a dedicated wellbeing lead and staff wellbeing group coordinated initiatives such as walking groups.The practice has delivered menopause awareness and support sessions for managers and staff to deliver education, awareness and practical advice.

Staff were signposted to a wellbeing app, the community larder that offers a range of benefits, including access to affordable food, as well as informal opportunities to speak with managers. Following a wellbeing questionnaire, the practice introduced monthly wellbeing coffee sessions.

In response to staff feedback, uniforms were introduced for administrative staff. Additional initiatives included step‑count walking challenges and gratitude boards to promote positive reflection.

The annual practice conference was held in March 2025. Staff gave their feedback and ideas, which were taken forward and actioned.