The Dovecot Surgery

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

We looked for evidence that the service met people’s needs, and that staff treated people equally and without discrimination.

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 made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

The practice made reasonable adjustments to meet individual needs. This included offering longer appointment times for patients with complex needs, providing accessible information formats, and ensuring language interpreters were available when required. A quiet room was also available for patients who found busy environments overwhelming.

Leaders also told us that staff referred patients to social prescribers where appropriate, to support social, emotional, and practical needs.

The service understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

The practice demonstrated strong community engagement through a range of initiatives designed to promote wellbeing and connection. On 25 September 2025, the team at The Dovecot Surgery collaborated with a neighbouring practice and hosted a Macmillan Coffee Morning, with staff from both sites contributing cakes and refreshments. The event was promoted by a practice nurse and raised nearly £120, while also providing emotional support and raising awareness for patients affected by cancer.

The practice contributed to several community wellbeing initiatives that reflected the needs and priorities of the local population. The Menopause Cafe, which began at The Dovecot Surgery, was so successful it was adopted across the Primary Care Network (PCN). Alongside this, the WHAM (Women’s Health and Menopause) group provided inclusive spaces for advice and peer support.

The practice also developed the Choose to Lose weight management sessions, which were later rolled out across the wider network, demonstrating effective partnership working and responsiveness to local health priorities. In addition, it supported the Hey Girls campaign helping anyone who menstruates to access essential items with dignity and privacy.

The practice worked closely with community health partners to support vulnerable patients. Weekly multidisciplinary team meetings which involved community matrons, general practitioners, and care home staff met to discuss residents’ needs. A designated community matron led on care home liaison, and the team conducted weekly ward rounds which ensured continuity of care.

The practice maintained a positive relationship with its aligned care home, with staff reporting that the practice pharmacist played a key role in improving the proxy ordering process, which allowed care home staff to safely request repeat prescriptions on behalf of residents. This helped to reduce delays, improve safety, and prevent medication errors.

The service supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

The practice identified, recorded, and met patients’ communication requirements in line with the Accessible Information Standards. Communication needs were routinely flagged within patient records and highlighted through alerts in the clinical system, enabling staff to respond appropriately and deliver personalised care.

The practice arranged language interpretation services for patients whose first language was not English.

Information was shared through multiple communication channels, including social media, the practice website, leaflets, noticeboards, and the Patient Participation Group (PPG). The team had also discussed the introduction of a regular newsletter to strengthen communication and keep patients informed about practice updates and services.

Results from the 2025 National GP Patient Survey (GPPS)showed that 61% of respondents said they knew what the next steps would be after contacting the practice, compared with the national average of 83%. The practice had been made aware of this recently and the findings were discussed internally. Leaders agreed to carry out a local patient survey, which would help inform improvements to the practice’s communication methods.

The service made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. They involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

We saw complaints were managed in line with the practice’s policy. Learning from patient feedback was evident and staff were able to identify changes made as a result. For example, following a potential data handling incident, the practice implemented a process requiring all interactions involving patient records to be documented in the patient’s file, ensuring accountability. Additionally, staff were issued name badges to help patients easily identify who they had spoken to, improving transparency when raising queries or concerns.

According to the NHS England National GP Patient Survey 2025, 83% of respondents said they were involved in decisions about their care as much as they wanted to be, compared to the national average of 91%. Response rates to the Friends and Family Test (FFT) remained low; however, leaders acknowledged this and were exploring ways to increase participation and gain more representative feedback.

The service took steps to ensure people could access the care, support, and treatment they needed; however, further improvements were required to ensure timely and equitable access for all.

Following results from the 2025 National GP Patient Survey, the practice recognised the need to improve access. Only 24% of patients found it easy to get through by phone (compared with 53% nationally), and 30% found it easy to use the practice website (compared with 51% nationally), both below national averages.

The practice introduced several initiatives to improve access to care. A new telephone system was implemented in January 2025, which included a call-back feature and queue position updates. Although feedback was not yet available to evaluate its effectiveness, staff reported a reduction in patient frustration.

During the assessment, 38 missed calls were initially noted. However, the telephone provider clarified that these figures were misleading due to the call diversion timer and that the more accurate indicators were connected, total, and dropped calls, which showed no cause for concern on the day. Leaders continued to monitor daily call data to maintain oversight of patient access and satisfaction.

To improve digital access, the practice collaborated with the Integrated Care Board (ICB) digital team to enhance the usability of its website and arranged NHS App training for staff, delivered by a digital specialist and an Information Technology (IT) locum.

For patients who were unable or preferred not to use digital systems, the practice ensured alternative routes to care were available. Patients could book appointments by telephone or in person, and walk-ins were accommodated where appropriate. Appointments could be booked up to 4 weeks in advance, and patients were offered a choice of face-to-face or telephone consultations, with most opting for face-to-face appointments. Extended access appointments were available, supporting patients who required flexibility outside of core hours.

The practice was physically accessible, with disabled parking spaces, wheelchair-accessible doors, 2 lifts, a hearing loop and a wheelchair was available on the ground floor.

To support equitable access for patients with long-term conditions, a member of staff contacted patients by their birth month to arrange annual reviews via phone or text message, helping to prevent congestion on phone lines during peak hours.

Staff also completed care navigation training to help direct patients to the most appropriate service.

During the assessment, it was noted that there was no visible signage informing patients about interpreter services or the option to request a chaperone. This was promptly addressed by the provider who placed a sign in reception to raise awareness of the availability of language support and chaperone services.

Staff and leaders actively listened to and responded to the needs of people most likely to experience inequality in their care, experience, or outcomes. Care, support, and treatment were tailored to meet individual circumstances and promote equitable access.

Leaders explained that the practice had a flexible registration procedure to accommodate individuals facing barriers to accessing healthcare services, such as those with no fixed address or asylum seekers. This included accepting alternative forms of identification or proof of address, waiving administrative requirements, and offering support with completing registration forms.

Staff demonstrated an inclusive approach to care and made adjustments to support equity in patients’ experiences. Interpreters were available to assist patients whose first language was not English, helping to ensure effective communication and informed decision-making. Although the patient check-in screen, which offered multiple language options, was temporarily out of service at the time of the assessment, it was scheduled for repair to further enhance accessibility.

Appointment adjustments were also made where needed, such as offering longer consultations or scheduling appointments at the end of the day to better suit individual needs.

In addition, the practice was accredited as a Veteran Friendly Practice, which recognised its commitment to providing high-quality, personalised care to military veterans. This included understanding the unique health needs of veterans and ensuring they were supported in accessing appropriate services.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

The practice had restarted regular palliative care meetings, which were held every 6 weeks to ensure coordinated, person-centred care. The September 2025 palliative care meeting minutes showed that a new palliative care register was being developed.

Our records review showed people were supported to consider their wishes for their end-of-life care, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This information was shared with other services when necessary.