Trent Vale Medical Practice

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

Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. However, governance systems were not wholly effective and needed improvements in oversight arrangements. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. Managers worked with the local community to deliver the best possible care and were receptive to new ideas. There was a culture of continuous improvement with staff given time and resources to try new ideas.

This service scored 71 (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. All staff had contributed to the development of the practice vision and strategy, which was kept under review.
The practice had succession plan in place which was regularly reviewed.
 

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 and those we received Care Quality Commission (CQC) feedback questionnaires from, that leaders in the practice was approachable and responded to any concerns raised. Staff also told us leaders modelled the values of the practice. Staff spoke positively about the leaders,
We saw the leadership team worked with other practices 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.
The practice had established Freedom to Speak up (FTSUP) arrangements by the Federation. Staff were aware of how to raise concerns and felt the details were easily accessible.
The practice had clear policies and procedures accessible to all staff for example, there was a whistleblowing policy, duty of candour policy in place, there were FTSUP posters displayed which included information and contact details.
 

The service valued diversity in their workforce. They worked 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, for example we saw adjustments to support disabled staff were in place.
 

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. However, we found the clinical searches identified a lack of oversight in relation to the monitoring of high-risk medicines and the management of long-term conditions. Overall, the provider acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes. However, following the fire risk assessment, we found safety issues with excessed fire doors. A system was in place to record the stock of blank prescriptions; however, improvements were required in the oversight of prescription management, and the provider ensured a new system would be put in place .
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. The provider had established governance processes that were appropriate for their service. Staff could access all required policies and procedures. Managers held regular practice 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.
At the time of inspection, the provider’s registration details were incorrect. Corrective action had been initiated, and the process remained ongoing following our visit.
 

The service understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people. They shared information and collaborated for improvement.
The provider worked with other practices within their primary care network to offer extended access, and flu and covid vaccination programmes. Staff had made adjustments to improve coordination of their service with community healthcare services, including through recently established weekly meetings centred on the care of those at higher risk of hospital admission.
The practice supported community events, for example Winter Ready event.
There was a Patient Participation Group (PPG) operating at the practice. Members of the PPG reported that the practice was supportive and receptive to the patient voice, actively involving them in initiatives such as health promotions and enhancements to the waiting area.
Multidisciplinary meetings were routinely held to review and improve outcomes for patients with complex needs.
 

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 practice had a quality improvement plan in place to help drive improvements in services. This focussed on the appointment system. A new telephone system had been implemented to improve access for patients.
All staff were encouraged to put forward and test out new ways of working.