Saville Medical Group

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• 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 service 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.

This service scored 79 (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 had a shared vision, strategy and culture based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights. It promoted diversity and inclusion, engagement, and an understanding of the challenges and needs of people and their communities.

Staff told us there was an open and honest culture within the practice. They felt confident to raise concerns without fear of retribution and believed that their views were listened to and valued. Staff also said that there was a clear vision for the future.

The practice demonstrated a clear understanding of the needs of its local population and showed a shared direction focused on addressing current and future health challenges through collaborative working. Leaders recognised demographic factors, such as large student population and areas of deprivation, and used this understanding to guide their priorities. For example, the practice worked with partner agencies to develop integrated approaches to student mental health support, improve early detection of long-term conditions, and increase access to care through community outreach projects.

The service had inclusive leaders at all levels 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 in the practice was approachable and responded to any concerns raised. As a single-practice Primary Care Network with more than 42,000 patients, leaders-maintained visibility and strong engagement across teams to support consistent and compassionate leadership.

The service fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

The practice had established Freedom to Speak Up arrangements, and staff told us they knew how to raise concerns if needed. Most staff who responded to the feedback questionnaire confirmed that they understood what whistleblowing was and how to report concerns.

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

Policies and procedures to support equality and diversity were in place, and leaders actively made reasonable adjustments where needed to accommodate individual circumstances. Examples of adjustments included providing ergonomic equipment, adapting workspaces, and offering flexible working arrangements to support staff wellbeing.

The service had governance arrangements in place, although some areas required strengthening to provide full assurance around safety and oversight. For example, legionella risk assessments had not been completed for all premises, and there was no assurance that staff vaccination records were fully up to date. Following the assessment, leaders told us they had taken prompt action and updated staff records. They told us that complete immunisation status is now available for all staff, and provided legionella risk assessments for both sites completed in January 2026.

While some areas required improvement, the practice had clear roles, responsibilities, and systems of accountability that supported the delivery of good quality and sustainable care. Leaders used governance processes to review performance, manage risks, and share information securely.

Staff told us leaders and managers were approachable and supportive, and all staff we spoke with understood their roles and responsibilities. Regular appraisals were carried out, and staff had access to relevant policies and procedures.

Practice meetings were held regularly to discuss clinical concerns and emerging risks. Actions were recorded and shared with teams, supporting continuous learning and improvement. Staff took confidentiality and information governance seriously, and appropriate systems were in place to protect patient information.

A dedicated practice-based pharmacist led medicines optimisation and quality assurance work, providing clear accountability and specialist oversight for prescribing safety.

As a single-practice Primary Care Network (PCN), governance structures allowed for consistent oversight and direct leadership visibility across the organisation.

Leaders acknowledged the areas for improvement and had begun taking steps to strengthen governance arrangements to ensure full oversight of safety, supervision and compliance requirements.

The service understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people. They share information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

The practice adapted its services to meet the needs of local people. For example, it worked with community groups to encourage people to take up screening programmes. This helped reduce health inequalities and made care easier to access for those who might have found it difficult.

The practice was involved in early discussions about a new mental health model for Newcastle called A Canny City, led by United Newcastle. This plan aimed to bring together NHS, local councils and VCSE (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise) organisations to create a joined-up approach to mental health care. The focus was on early help, preventing problems from getting worse and reducing stigma.
The practice shared ideas and supported the plans. It offered its premises as a possible future Wellbeing Hub, where people could get both health and social support in one place. It also helped link in GP federations, social prescribing services and local universities to make sure the approach met the needs of the wider population.

The practice played a key role in developing and running a Community Health Bus (“Monty”), which brought health services closer to people in their communities. The bus was equipped with 2 clinical rooms and visited locations such as shopping centres, pubs, homeless hostels and drug user drop-in centres to reach people who might not otherwise access care. It provided both general and liver health checks, funded by a local university and staffed by nurses and students.

Working with Newcastle GP Services, the practice helped decide what services the bus should offer, such as vaccination campaigns and outreach clinics.
It made sure the service was safe, provided a regular base for clinics at Newbiggin Hall and suggested services that would benefit local people. Over the past year, the bus delivered 1,885 clinical interventions to 249 patients, including blood pressure checks, cholesterol testing, cardiovascular health education and vaccinations. Patients came from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and age groups, showing the service reached diverse and underserved communities. Leaders told us the bus helped many people who might have struggled to visit a GP or hospital to receive care in a convenient location.

In October 2025, a Practice Nurse visited a local secondary school to speak with Health and Social Care students. Leaders told us that feedback from students was excellent, and they felt the session helped them link classroom theory to real-world practice. The visit included a question-and-answer session on the roles of support workers, healthcare assistants, domiciliary care assistants, and nurses, as well as discussion of key policies such as safeguarding, whistleblowing, lone working, and manual handling.

The practice maintained positive relationships with community health and social care teams, including its aligned care homes, where regular multidisciplinary meetings and ward rounds were held to review residents’ needs and coordinate ongoing support.

The service had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research.

Leaders at the practice actively supported staff development through a variety of structured opportunities and career pathways. The practice was a recognised teaching and training site, regularly hosting medical students to support clinical education and mentoring. In addition, staff members were enrolled in training programmes, including the CPPE pathway, which supported professional development in pharmacy practice, and the Trainee Nursing Associate (TNA) programme.

A nurse was recognised nationally for outstanding mentorship of a final-year student nurse. This support helped the student regain confidence and commit to qualifying, showing the service’s commitment to developing staff and fostering a positive learning environment.

The practice undertook a structured quality improvement project to improve identification and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD). This included internal learning, supported by specialist education. As part of this work. Clinical searches identified 460 patients who may have had CKD and required further review.

Leaders demonstrated effective oversight and innovation in care navigation. They supported the implementation of a single, practice-wide care navigation system across both sites, ensuring non-clinical staff had clear, up-to-date guidance on the skills, availability, and appointment requirements of the clinical team. This strengthened consistency in care navigation, reduced variation in booking decisions, and supported safer, more efficient access to the right clinician.

Saville Medical Group participated in several research studies and public health initiatives aimed at improving patient care, supporting early diagnosis, and promoting healthier lifestyles. This was done in partnership with the Research and Development team at Newcastle GP Services (NGPS), the GP federation for Newcastle.

The practice participated in a wide range of studies covering dementia, asthma, COPD, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health, cancer and rare conditions. Examples include:

• Join Dementia Research – a national registry helping improve early diagnosis and care for people with dementia.
• INDIGO – investigating digital health tools to support people living with and beyond cancer.
• Coral Reef – evaluating new treatments to reduce major cardiovascular events in high-risk patients.
• ASCEND – exploring novel treatments for bipolar disorder.
• ATLAS – testing advanced therapies for severe asthma.
• UK-EDI – studying pancreatic cancer in people with diabetes.
• OPACE – assessing whether Azithromycin can reduce COPD flare-ups.
• ReSTORe – an online exercise and support programme for people recovering from stroke.
• CM Victory – a vaccine study for cytomegalovirus (CMV).
• Redefine – examining cardiovascular safety of new medication for obesity and heart disease.
• STRIPE – investigating treatments for paediatric eczema.

In total, the practice supported over 27,000 patient contacts for research participation in the past 2 years. Leaders told us they did not receive individual trial results, but by participating, the practice helped provide patients with access to research that may benefit their care in the future and support wider medical progress.