Holbrooks Health Team

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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. Arrangements were in place to promote patients’ privacy.

National GP Patient Survey data reflected people felt listened to and were treated with kindness. Results from the GP Patient Survey showed that 85% of patients stated that during their last appointment, the healthcare professional was very good or good at treating them with care and concern. 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. There was separate room in the practice for patients to speak privately to staff members should they wish to.

The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. Systems were in place to make sure patients were treated in ways that suited them. During registration, patients were able to highlight any requirements or preferences that were important to them. These needs were then recorded in the patient system, allowing all staff to be aware of individual preferences. The practice made reasonable adjustments for patients with disabilities and offered interpreting and translation services for those whose first language was not English, including British Sign Language support. Additionally, information could be provided on paper rather than digitally for patients who had difficulty using technology, ensuring that communication needs were met effectively.

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. National GP Patient Survey data showed that 89% of the respondents felt involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment during their last general practice appointment.

Staff helped patients and their carers to access advocacy and community-based services, there was leaflets in the waiting room to signpost patients for additional support alongside social prescribers who were available.

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.

There was a system for appointment triage that ensured people with immediate needs had access to services. Staff we spoke with knew the process for referral to emergency support, including the mental health crisis teams, we saw literature in the reception and clinical rooms to support staff to contact the appropriate organisations.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Leaders had taken steps to recognise and meet the wellbeing needs of staff, which included the necessary resources and facilities for safe working, such as regular breaks, rest areas, and flexible working. Staff reported that leaders provided a working environment where they felt comfortable and empowered to provide a high-quality service to the community. Staff told us they had regular opportunities to provide feedback, raise concerns and suggest ways to improve the service. This was carried out through team and individual staff meetings and Staff reported being supported if they were struggling at work. We saw evidence over the last 12 months that leaders had supported staff wellbeing through informal team-building opportunities, including dedicated time for staff to connect, as well as providing facilities such as a table tennis table and picnic seating. The practice also gave rewards for employee of the month to show their recognition.