Albion Health 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

We looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

We rated this key question as good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. At the time of the assessment, the provider had discussed the responses in the National GP Patient Survey and had an action plan to improve patient satisfaction.

The national GP patient survey carried out from January to March 2024 had 110 responses. This found 78% of patients stated the healthcare professional was good at treating the patient with care and concern, and 76% of patients stated the healthcare professional was fairly or very good at listening to them. In addition, 90% stated to some extent or definitely they had confidence and trust in the health care professional they saw or spoke to. These results were mostly in line with local and national averages. CQC did not speak to patients on the days of the assessment.

Staff and leaders told us they would respond to people’s needs quickly and efficiently. The leader’s explained patients were signposted to social prescribers and information on disabilities, women's health, and LGBTQ+ support groups was available on the service website and on posters in the waiting room. Staff told us they provided support and signposting to specialist bereavement services. The leaders explained they had recruited staff who were multilingual and who lived locally, to improve customer experience.

There were arrangements to ensure confidentiality at the reception desk. A private room was available if patients were distressed or wanted to discuss sensitive issues. There was a hearing loop in reception for people with hearing impairment. To improve communication with patients who had hearing difficulties, staff used Sign Live to connect people through a mobile app with a BSL interpreter.

Patients’ personal, cultural, social, religious and equality characteristics needs were understood and met. Staff used different communication aids and interpreters to enable patients to engage in their care, treatment and support to improve their experience and outcomes.

Staff shared examples with us where they had considered any relevant protected equality characteristics or people’s culture. Leaders were aware of some of the comments relating to reception staff and told us staff had been provided with customer service training. Chaperones were available if needed and privacy curtains were used to help maintain dignity. The service website and online information was translatable into other languages. The service had a system in place to support the relatives of recently bereaved patients that met cultural, social and religious needs.

Staff collected feedback from patients to help monitor patient satisfaction. The leaders explained they listened and responded to patient feedback, through the national GP patient survey, and eConsult surveys and had used technology to monitor appointment activity in relation to access and demand. In addition, they reviewed and responded to complaints and acted on any themes or reoccurring issues.

The national GP patient survey carried out from January to March 2024 had 110 responses. This found 87% of patients stated the healthcare professional they saw had all the information they needed about them during their last GP appointment, and 76% of patients stated the healthcare professional was fairly or very good at listening to them. We did not speak to patients on the days of the assessment. We saw that staff had received training on how to support autistic people and people with a learning disability.

Staff and leaders told us that people were supported to have choice and control over their own care and to make decisions about their care, treatment and well-being. The service supported people to understand their rights by using different ways to communicate. There were policies and procedures to ensure peoples records were kept up to date with information that supported them to maintain relationships, as well as networks that were important to them. Staff helped patients and their carers to access advocacy and community-based services.

The evidence from the GP national patient survey demonstrated the practice mostly promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. The GP national patient survey carried out from January to March 2024 had 110 responses. This found 85% of patients stated they were to some extent or definitely involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment, however this remained below the local average of 88%.

Patient information leaflets and notices were available in the patient waiting area which told patients how to access support groups and organisations. People whose first language was not English could access information in other languages on the practice website and staff were multilingual. In addition, patients had access to British Sign Language services. There was a hearing loop in the reception area.

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 protocol 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 mental health crisis teams.

Staff were alert to people’s needs and took time to observe, communicate and engage people in discussions about their immediate needs. The national GP patient survey carried out from January to March 2024 had 110 responses. This found 76% of patients knew what the next step would be after contacting the service and 97% knew what the next step would be within two days of contacting the service. In addition, 91% stated to some extent or definitely their needs were met. CQC did not speak to patients on the days of the assessment.

Staff training ensured they were able to quickly recognise when people need urgent help or support and use appropriate tools and technology to assist. Same day appointments were available for patients who required immediate care. The length of call waiting time and response was monitored to ensure patients’ needs were promptly responded to. If patients came into the service to ask for an appointment, staff told us they would support the patient with their request.

Since our assessment, the service has informed us they have developed an action plan in response to patient feedback about contacting the service. Leaders told us the service has signed up for the General Practice Improvement Programme (GPIP) which was due to start in October 2025. This initiative would support optimisation of the practice appointment system, with the aim of improving patient access.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff told us they were valued by leaders. 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 and rest areas. Staff reported being supported if they were struggling at work. The leaders told us they had worked to improve staff wellbeing. They explained the service celebrated religious and cultural festivals and leaders organised team lunches to build strong relationships.

Staff told us they could approach their line manager or a senior GP with any concerns that may cause them stress. Staff were able to seek advice and guidance through an employee assistance programme. Leaders told us they offered flexible working options to accommodate staff needs and to help maintain a healthy work-life balance. The leaders told us that staff do not work alone. There were systems and processes for staff and people to have regular opportunities to provide feedback, raise concerns and suggest ways to improve the service or staff experiences.