Drs Patel and Partner Also known as Vassall Medical 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. At our last inspection, we rated this key question as good. At this inspection, 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 always 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. 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.

Patient feedback from the National GP Patient Survey (2024) indicated that the practice was performing above national averages regarding kindness, compassion and dignity. We saw that from 77 responses, 91% of patients said the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at listening to them (National Average 87%), 86% of patients said the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at treating them with care and concern (National Average 85%) and 100% of patients had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to (National Average 92%). The results for the 2025 survey were published following the assessment, and the service has continued to perform at or close to the national average.

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. Patients’ personal, cultural, social, religious and equality characteristics needs were understood and met. For example, all staff had completed specific training to improve their own knowledge and understanding of how to support different patients. This included training on equality and diversity and safeguarding. The practice had a formal complaints policy and complaints were discussed during team meetings. Patient communication needs were met to enable them to be fully involved in their care. The practice offered extended appointments for patient with additional needs. The service had a designated member of staff who ensured patients with a learning disability were given a face-to-face appointment and were offered the support they needed.

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. A translation service and hearing loop was available to patients when needed, and the premises had wheelchair access. Patients were able to book appointments with a variety of clinical staff, including GPs, practice nurses, a Health Care Assistant and pharmacists. The practice could also refer patients to a wellbeing coach, a dietician, a drug and alcohol counsellor and physiotherapists. The practice actively encouraged patients to become involved with how the practice delivered services, including by promoting the PPG on their website.

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 mental health crisis teams.

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. Workplace adjustments could be made for staff who needed support. We saw team building days were established within the practice.