Binscombe Medical Centre

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 practice involved patients and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity, and respect.

We received exemplary comments from patients using the practice, which included mostly very positive comments about the care they received. Comments included: ‘personal attention’, ‘provided with excellent care and understanding’, ‘efficient’ and ‘friendly and professional’.

We found that the culture of the entire team was patient-centred, and staff members told us they felt empowered to deliver high-quality, considerate and empathetic care. Results for both the National GP patient survey and the Friends and Family Test were extremely positive and well above national averages.

At our last inspection, we rated this key question as Outstanding. At this inspection, the rating remains the same.

This service scored 90 (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 was exceptional at treating patients with kindness, empathy, and compassion and in how they respected patients’ privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

The practice gathered Friends and Family scores, which consistently reflected high levels of patient satisfaction. Feedback from patients was shared with staff to encourage and reinforce good practice. The practice used all comments as an opportunity for learning and improvement.

58 patients shared positive experiences of the practice directly with the Care Quality Commission. Comments from patients included: “I have been provided with excellent care and understanding by my GP” and ‘I have felt reassured and listened to’.

Results from the National GP patient survey consistently scored higher than both the local and national averages. Notably, 98% of patients felt their needs were met during their last general practice appointment. This was above the local average and national average of 90%. Similarly, 93% said the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at treating them with care and concern during their last general practice appointment, (the national average was 86%). 95% of patients found the reception and administrative team at this GP practice helpful, compared to the national average of 83%

Arrangements were in place to promote patients’ privacy. Staff that chaperoned patients were aware of their responsibilities in maintaining a person’s dignity and safety, including during an intimate examination. We observed notices around the practice advising that chaperones were available and how to request one. National GP patient survey data reflected that 97% of patients felt listened to (national average 87%). 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 practice treated patients as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure care, support and treatment met patients’ needs and preferences. The practice took account of patient’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

All staff had received training surrounding autism and learning disabilities and were able to support patients who may need extra support to be independent and access services.

Patients with learning disability were asked to attend their annual review during their birthday month. The practice had an improvement project to assist their neurodiverse patients in requesting reasonable adaptations they may need to access and/or attend healthcare appointments. The practice created a passport where the patient could add things that were important to them, and this could be worn as a lanyard. For example, patients could highlight ‘things to know and ways to help me: give me specific instructions and explain why, check my understanding, ask me direct (closed) questions’.

The practice worked closely with a range of local organisations to support patients’ health and wellbeing. For example, Clockhouse in Milford for dementia patients, Farncombe Day Centre for loneliness and “meals on wheels” service, NHS volunteer befriending service, Hoppa bus, Age UK, local free support groups, local walks, Sport in mind (free local sports for people struggling with mental wellbeing).

The practice supported all patients, including homeless people, to access healthcare. Patients with no fixed abode could use Binscombe Medical Centre as their postal address.

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 practice was able to use translation services.

The practice was exceptional at promoting patient’s independence, so patients knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment, and wellbeing.

The practice provided information in a way that patients could understand and offered time for discussion so patients could consider their options. Interpreters and accessible communication formats were available when needed. The practice had disabled access and hearing loops.

Staff helped patients and their carers to access advocacy and community-based services.

The practice listened to and understood patients’ needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to patient’s needs and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern, or distress. There was a system for appointment triage that ensured patients with immediate needs had access to services. A senior doctor was available each day to support non-clinical staff in care navigation. Patients’ needs were usually managed on the day of contact with the practice. The remaining were either signposted or offered an appointment in the future rather than having to call back. Patients were directed to the most appropriate person to meet their needs and ensure continuity of care where required. Staff knew the process for referral to emergency support, including mental health crisis teams.

The practice had also conducted a review to identify patients with complex needs. Patients with a variety of needs were highlighted to ensure staff were aware of any specific requirements when contacting the practice. For example, ensuring a patient was seen face to face and not booked in for a telephone consultation, or ensuring they saw the same GP for continuity of care.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling 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. We saw team building days were established within the practice. The practice also supported their staff by having a ‘Wellbeing Champion’ who held weekly drop-in sessions, organised social events, and feedback surveys. We also saw evidence of a high level of peer support across the practice.

Staff we spoke with, and evidence seen demonstrated a high level of training opportunities for staff. Staff told us they were encouraged to expand their roles and / or achieve career progression. We saw internal training sessions were provided for staff to increase their knowledge on a variety of subjects. For example, suicide awareness, sepsis recognition, red flags in primary care and communication.

Leaders demonstrated the systems they had in place to support staff, and staff reported how their views and feedback were listened to, carefully considered and used to drive change. For example, reception staff were asked to feed back about the appointment system, what was working well and what were the challenges. The results of these were discussed by the partners and changes made.