Cockfosters Medical Centre

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

We looked for evidence that practice leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.

At our last assessment, we rated this key question as Good. At this assessment, the rating remains the same.

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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 practice leaders had a shared vision and strategy. This was based on delivering high-quality patient-centred care, combining that with evidence-based medicine and the use of up-to-date modern technology. This included having a named GP for each patient to have continuity of care. The vision and strategy had been thoroughly embedded within the practice, and staff members we spoke with communicated their interpretation of the vision and strategy. The practice told us that it was aware of projected changes in the local population and was collaborating with partner agencies in preparation to address any future challenges. All the staff we spoke with and received feedback from were positive about working at the practice.

The practice had inclusive leaders who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

Staff told us leaders were approachable and that they felt no hierarchy amongst individual members of staff. Leaders responded quickly to any concerns raised. The GP partners told us that there was an open-door policy for all staff.

Staff also told us leaders put into practice the values of teamwork within the practice consistently. We saw the leadership team worked with other practices in the primary care network and were engaged in the development of primary care practices within the local area.

Leaders explained how they valued and supported staff and that they believed this had contributed to the extremely low turnover of staff at the practice.

The practice fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.The practice had a Freedom to Speak Up and Whistleblowing policy which clearly outlined the process for escalating concerns. We saw there were systems in place to ensure all staff had sight of the policy. Staff could raise concerns internally and had access to an external Freedom to Speak Up Guardian which had been arranged through the local PCN. Staff we spoke with and received feedback from were aware of how to raise concerns.

The practice valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them.

Policies and procedures to promote diversity and equality were in place. The practice told us that it ensures equality of opportunity and experience across the workforce through robust policies and fair and transparent processes in line with the Equality Act 2010.

There was an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy in place, which set out the practice’s commitment to preventing discrimination and promoting fair treatment for all staff.

We were told that a zero-tolerance approach to bullying, harassment, and discriminatory behaviour was embedded within the practice’s values and expected standards of conduct. Staff are made aware of the practice’s expectations during induction and through ongoing training in equality, diversity, and inclusion.

The practice had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. Leaders acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate. The practice told us that compliance with national and local guidance, as well its own internal governance was evaluated and monitored through incident reviews, internal audits and staff feedback.

Leaders and managers supported staff, and all staff we spoke with were clear on their individual roles and responsibilities. Managers met with staff regularly to complete appraisals and performance reviews. GP partners at the practice had a mentoring practice for the clinical pharmacist, practice nurse and physician associate.

The practice had established governance processes that were appropriate for their practice. There was a risk register in place for the practice to have oversight of current and potential future risks. Staff could access all required policies and procedures. Staff took patient confidentiality and information security seriously.

The practice had a held clinical meeting monthly. All practice meetings were held quarterly, with ad-hoc meetings held when required to discuss emerging urgent issues. Managers clearly recorded any actions arising from scheduled meetings and ensured they shared these with staff.

The practice had a Patient Participation Group (PPG) providing opportunities for patients to share views, experiences of care and suggestions regarding the delivery of practice. PPG feedback was discussed at all staff meetings, and suggestions (where applicable) were embedded as part of ongoing practice improvement.

The practice focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. It encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe and effective practice, using audits and quality improvement programmes to assist in the delivery of care.

The practice kept a log of complaints received and actions taken as a result. We saw evidence of discussions with all members of the team regarding any learning gained from complaints received in the meeting minutes we reviewed. Similarly, significant events were discussed regularly at staff meetings.

The practice undertook clinical audit and quality improvement activities to assist in ongoing improvement of the practice.

A refurbishment undertaken at the practice premises late in 2024, had provided an additional clinical room and the opportunity to recruit a salaried GP at the beginning of 2025.

The lead GP at the practice was able to discuss with the assessment team future plans for the practice which included moving to a total triage practice and accommodating the potential increase in the practice population due to new housing in the area.