Archived: Mersea Island Medical Practice

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.

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.

Leaders at the practice told us about their vision, strategy, and culture. Staff told us they had been involved in the processes to develop the strategy and culture with leaders.

The patient participation group told us they had been told about the practice vision, strategy and culture at the practice. They also told us that the practice leaders regularly updated them at meetings with service developments and any changes occurring at the practice.

The practice leaders understood the context and local practice demographics in which they delivered care, treatment, and support; aligned with the practice culture and values. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience, and credibility to lead the practice.

The practice leadership team worked with the other practices in their Primary Care Network (PCN) and were engaged in the development of primary care services within the local area.

Staff told us leaders at the practice were approachable, easily accessible, and responded to concerns raised.

The practice staff had access to a Freedom to Speak-up policy to support staff to raise concerns. Staff explained where on the computer desktop the policies and procedures were held to support them at the practice. They told us the leaders encouraged staff to speak up and raise concerns, which was confirmed in the practice policy.

The staff we spoke with told us leaders were approachable, and they were able to speak up and believed they would be heard.

We were told there were processes in place to support workforce equality, diversity, and inclusion, for the well-being of staff. Leaders told us that staff were offered reasonable adjustments to support them at work if required.

Staff gave examples of support provided, for instance training and development and flexible working hours. Staff had completed equality and diversity training appropriate for their role.

The staff we spoke with told us they felt valued by their team leaders for the work they carried out at the practice.

The practice had lead responsibilities, roles, and systems of accountability for governance.

Leads were identified in a range of areas which included for example, clinical services, clinical training, prescribing, safeguarding, Caldicott guardian, data protection officer, health and safety lead, fire marshals, complaints lead, freedom to speak-up guardian, and infection control. Staff were supported to manage and deliver sustainable care, treatment, and support. Staff acted on the best information available regarding risk, performance, and outcomes, which was shared securely with others when appropriate.

The practice held an improvement action plan that recorded the active and completed plans for future sustainability and management of the practice.

We observed staff had regularly received appraisals and performance reviews. Staff could access all required policies and procedures to support them in their roles at the practice.

The practice understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, to ensure services worked seamlessly for people.

They shared information with healthcare partners and engaged and collaborated with their Primary Care Network (PCN) practices to improve primary care service provision to the local population. A review of recent PCN meeting minutes confirmed the practice was fully engaged and collaborated to explore services for the future to improve local population health.

Feedback from the residential homes was positive. They told us the practice worked with them to meet the needs of their residents. They told us they were able to contact the practice for urgent issues and had timely access.

Clinical reporting and audits were undertaken on a continuous basis to identify areas to improve patient outcomes.

The use of digital technology was expanding to ease the workload for the reception and administrative team, this included enabling and encouraging people to self-book phlebotomy, health checks and flu clinics being very successful. The practice told us they use Accurx, a messaging platform for healthcare professionals to communicate with people. They gather information from people before medicine reviews to ensure clinicians have the information, they need ready for their review.

All the staff we spoke with told us that leaders encouraged training and development and the practice was using new technology to improve the ways they worked. A member of staff has been selected to attend Abtrace training soon. Abtrace is a proactive monitoring tool that supports recalls in primary care systems to find people that are due monitoring, blood or laboratory tests, reviews and vaccinations.

The practice is currently expanding the Barfield clinic branch site to provide further clinical space and offices. They are also in negotiation and hoping to expand the main site.

Approval has been granted to the practice by Anglia Ruskin Medical School to start teaching students from September 2026.