Benfield Park Medical Group

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 looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
At our last assessment, 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 consistently treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion, and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff also demonstrated respect and professionalism when working with colleagues from other organisations. Arrangements were in place to support and maintain patients’ privacy. Privacy curtains were available, and staff ensured consultation rooms were used appropriately, with doors closed when discussing confidential information. Results from the National GP Patient Survey indicated that patients felt listened to and were treated with kindness. In the most recent results, 91% of respondents reported that the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at listening to them during their last appointment. This was higher than both the Integrated Care System (ICS) average (89%) and the national average (87%).

The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences by being person centred. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. Patients’ personal, cultural, social, religious and equality characteristics needs were understood and met. Patient communication needs were met to enable them to be fully involved in their care.

The service promoted people’s independence by ensuring they were aware of their rights and enabling them to exercise choice and control over their care, treatment and overall wellbeing. Results from the National GP Patient Survey showed that 52% of respondents usually saw or spoke with their preferred healthcare professional when they wanted to, which was higher than both the ICS average (41%) and the national average (40%).
Staff supported patients and carers to access advocacy and relevant community-based services. They provided practical help where needed, including assistance with hospital passports for people who relied on these when accessing other health and care services.

The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff were responsive in the moment and took steps to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.
There was an effective appointment triage system that ensured people with immediate or urgent needs were prioritised and had timely access to appropriate services. Staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about the processes for referring individuals to emergency support, including mental health crisis teams.
Staff had also completed relevant training to support safe and responsive care, including training on recognising and responding to sepsis.

The service promoted staff wellbeing and created an environment that supported and enabled staff to deliver person centred care. Staff told us they felt valued by leaders and described an open door culture, where leaders were approachable, supportive and receptive to staff ideas.
Leaders had taken proactive steps to recognise and meet the wellbeing needs of the workforce. This included ensuring staff had access to appropriate facilities for safe working, such as designated rest areas and opportunities for regular breaks. The service also invested in team cohesion and morale through planned team building events and initiatives that encouraged physical activity, such as regular staff park runs.
The practice participated in regional health and wellbeing programmes and had received recognition for its commitment to improving staff wellbeing. Staff reported they were well supported when experiencing difficulties at work, and we saw evidence that structured team building days were routinely incorporated into practice operations.