Wychbury Medical Group

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

This service scored 80 (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. For example:

• 82% of respondents said the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at treating them with care and concern during their last general practice appointment, which was in line with the local average of 82% and slightly below the national average of 86%
• 84% said the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at listening to them during their last general practice appointment, which was in line with the local average of 84% and slightly below the national average of 86%
• 92% felt their needs were met during their last general practice appointment, which was above the local average of 88% and above the national average of 90%.

Feedback from a number of patients we spoke to on the day of our visit reported that staff were friendly and they were treated with dignity and respect. We spoke with a member from the Patient Participation Group (PPG), and they expressed how they felt they were treated with kindness, compassion and dignity.

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. Staff that chaperoned were aware of their responsibilities in maintaining a person’s dignity and safety during an intimate examination.

The service held GP Veteran Friendly Accreditation, with a designated GP lead in place to support veterans. A patient register was maintained to ensure their needs were identified and addressed. The service actively identified and supported carers and was recognised as a Safe Surgery.

The practice had a structured process in place to support bereaved families. A social prescriber made contact within 4 weeks of a patient’s death to provide signposting and facilitate access to further emotional or practical support services.

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. Patient communication needs were met to enable them to be fully involved in their care. A hearing loop was in place to support patients who had hearing difficulties. Resources were available such as interpreters to support patients who did not have English as a first language.

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff helped patients and their carers to access advocacy and community-based services. The practice had access to a social prescriber through the PCN who provided support and information on local services within the community. The practice was registered as a Safe Surgery and demonstrated commitment to addressing the barriers many migrants face when accessing healthcare. The practice manager led on this initiative and had implemented resources, including a local contact list, to facilitate access to appropriate support.

The people we spoke with on the day of the onsite assessment told us they felt included in decisions about their care and treatment.

National GP Patient Survey data found:

• 90% of respondents were involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment during their last general practice appointment, which was in line with the local average of 90% and just below the national average of 91%
• 91% of the respondents felt the healthcare professional they saw had all the information they needed about them during their last general practice appointment, which was in line with the local average of 91% and just below the national average of 92%
• 97% had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to during their last general practice appointment, which was above the local average of 91% and above the national average of 93%.

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 results of the GP National Patient Survey showed that 92% of patient felt their needs were met during their last appointment, which was above the local average of 88% and national average of 90%.

The service demonstrated a strong commitment to staff wellbeing and actively promoted initiatives to support staff and enable them to consistently deliver person-centred care.

A dedicated wellbeing focus group convened every 8–12 weeks to identify strategies for improving staff wellbeing, morale, and support. The practice introduced a variety of initiatives, including quizzes, a book club, and summer walks. In addition, the provider engaged in charitable activities such as bake-offs to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support and organised raffles and donations for local foodbanks. Staff were invited to participate in decisions regarding future fundraising efforts through surveys.

Fortnightly bulletins, titled ‘Wychbury Updates’, were distributed to all staff to share updates and key communications. These bulletins included recognition of individual achievements, celebration of birthdays, and acknowledgment of cultural events throughout the year.

Staff wellbeing surveys were conducted, with results shared transparently and used to inform improvements, including resource allocation. A travel survey was also undertaken to address challenges faced by staff without access to personal transport and to explore flexible home-working arrangements.

Quarterly staff education events supported professional development, with recent sessions focusing on online triage processes to assist staff during system transitions. Other educational events included safeguarding, neurodiversity and transgender.

Staff feedback collected through Care Quality Commission (CQC) questionnaires and interviews indicated that overwhelmingly most staff felt valued by the service. For example, 90% of staff reported feeling listened to, 100% confirmed they had received an appraisal, and 96% stated they were supported by managers and senior leaders.

The practice demonstrated an exceptionally positive staff culture, with feedback describing it overall as a great place to work. Staff characterised the team as professional, patient-focused, friendly, open, and supportive, committed to delivering high-quality care.

Staff acknowledged the reasonable adjustments in place to support their needs, including flexible working hours and patterns, available on both a short-term and long-term basis. Leadership actively prioritised staff wellbeing by providing appropriate resources and facilities to ensure safe working conditions. This included regular breaks, access to occupational health services, and welfare check-ins. While room allocation was occasionally challenging, leaders planned resources and space effectively to mitigate these issues.