The Groves Medical Centre

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 inspection we rated this key question as Requires Improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to Good.

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 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.

Results from the national GP survey 2024 showed 85% of participants felt, they were involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment during their last general practice appointment. This was lower than 91% national results.

Care plans reflected physical, mental, emotional, and social needs of patients including those related to protected characteristics under the Equality Act. Patients were supported to understand their condition and were involved in planning for their care needs. They were also involved in decisions about their care. The practice made adjustments when patients found it difficult to access services. For example, if patients were unable to complete the online triage process in order to book an appointment, practice staff would assist them in booking an appointment.

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.

We saw the practice worked in partnership with other services to meet the needs of its patient population. It had tailored its services to meet the diverse needs of its community. For example, the practice employed a part-time social prescriber who was able to support and signpost patients to other services available within the community.

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

Data from the GP Patient survey 2024 showed that 34% of patients found it easy to contact the practice using their website. This was lower than the national average of 48%.

The practice website supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. It also provided information about how to access support for a range of issues. For example, the social prescriber was able to signpost patients to services to support both physical and mental health. The website also enabled patients to access support for issues such as addictions, sexual health, weight management and support for carers.

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

Results from national GP survey 2024 showed a total of 93% of patients said the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at listening to them during their last general practice appointment, which was higher than the local average of 89% and the national average of 87%.

Patients giving feedback told us they found the clinical staff to be very professional and understanding. One patient told us clinicians were “punctual, attentive, warm and caring, professional”, which made the patient feel very well cared for.

The practice had improved its complaints handling in line with its policies. The complaints policy and form were available on the practice website enabling patients to raise concerns either online or in person at the practice. In addition, staff were aware of how to access the complaints procedure and knew what action to take if a complaint was made.

The service did not always make sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

The most recent GP Patient Survey data, from April 2024, showed 32% of patients found it easy to get through to this GP practice by phone. Although this was an improvement compared to the 2023 survey when only 29% of patients were positive about phone contact with the practice, it remained significantly below the national average of 50% who found it easy to get through to their practice by phone.

The practice had made improvements following our last inspection. The online triage system had been fully implemented and amended to take account of early issues in its use. For example, reception staff helped patients book an appointment by completing the triage form on the patients behalf and more staff were available to answer phone calls. For patients who had difficulty in using the online system, the practice still allowed patients to attend in person to book appointments or to request an appointment by telephone.

The building was designed to enable wheelchair access and there was a lift to reach upper floors, with an evacuation chair to assist people with limited mobility in leaving the building in the event of an emergency.

For people with hearing difficulties there was a hearing loop system in reception which could be moved to assist patients during their consultation. In addition, there were translation services available to support patients whose first language was not English, together with access to British Sign Language interpreters.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

Staff treated people equally and without discrimination. Leaders sought ways to address any barriers to improving people’s experience and worked with local organisations, including within the voluntary sector, to address any local health inequalities. Staff understood the importance of providing an inclusive approach to care and made adjustments to support equity in people’s experience and outcomes. Staff used appropriate systems to capture and review feedback from people using the service, including those who did not speak English or have access to the internet.

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.

Our records review showed people were supported to consider their wishes for their end-of-life care, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The practice was part of a data sharing agreement among local practices to ensure this information was shared with other services when necessary.