Wellington Road Surgery

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 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

During our site visit we observed people were treated with kindness, empathy and compassion and their privacy and dignity were respected. Arrangements were in place to promote patients’ privacy. Staff shared examples of how they promoted respect, privacy and dignity in their work and treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Feedback shared by the Patient Participation Group (PPG) was positive about how people were treated. National GP Patient Survey data reflected people felt they were treated with kindness. For example, 91% of people who responded stated the healthcare professional treating them with care and concern during their last appointment, in line with the national average of 86%. In addition, 76% of respondents responded positively to the overall experience of their GP practice, similar to the national average of 75%.

Feedback we received from patients in preparation for the inspection was mainly positive. Several people described their care as exemplary, caring and compassionate with a small number of people describing some staff as unkind and rude.

The NHS Friends and Family Test results reviewed for the last quarter showed people were satisfied with the service they receive. Staff were described as polite, friendly, attentive, helpful and supportive.

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.

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.

The National GP patient survey results for the practice found 95% of people who responded to the survey had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to during their last appointment. This was in line with the national average of 93%.

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 and referred to the social prescribers when required. The social prescribers worked across all 4 practices within their primary care network and met patients within the practice, or at a local hub cafe to offer support.

The practice had identified 304 patients as carers. A carer board was displayed in the practice, which included information on local carer activities, a wellbeing group and carer assessments.

The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs 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. Digital Total Triage was introduced in November 2025, a system where all patients requests, whether via phone, web, or in person was screened by a GP before an appointment was booked. This enabled patients to be directed to the most appropriate care or signposted elsewhere ensuring patients immediate needs could be met.

Staff we spoke with knew the process for referral to emergency support, including mental health crisis teams. The practice had achieved Veteran Friendly Practice accreditation, a program designed to support practices in providing the best possible care for people with a military background and their families.

Care home representatives told us the practice provided a consistent, person-centred approach. Most said the designated GP and duty GPs were approachable and responsive, providing regular updates, timely visits, and ongoing support. One representative told us they would welcome a prompter response when submitting online triage requests for non-urgent enquiries. Two representatives told us they would welcome visits on a more regular basis from a GP.

The National GP Patient Survey results for the practice found 93% of people who responded to the survey stated they felt listened to by the healthcare professional during their last appointment, slightly above the national average of 87%.

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. Staff had access to a designated wellbeing leader, who was a mental health first aider. Staff social events were established within the practice

Leaders encouraged staff feedback to improve the service. A suggestion box was in the staff room where staff could leave their feedback.

Leaders demonstrated they valued staff through routinely providing staff refreshments, funding social events, gifts, birthday leave, a monthly random staff draw, acknowledging and providing reasonable adjustments, including specialist equipment or flexible working arrangements.

A workforce wellbeing survey had been carried out in March 2024 to gain staff feedback and evaluate their wellbeing at work. An analysis had been undertaken and shared with the team, including actions. Overall feedback was positive with changes incorporated to help maintain staff wellbeing. Leaders advised they were due to undertake a further survey shortly.