Testvale Surgery Also known as Dr Entwisle and Partners

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.

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. The service had arrangements to promote people’s privacy, for example, there was a private room for people to discuss sensitive issues if required. During our onsite visit, we observed staff respecting privacy and speaking to people in a compassionate way. The service proactively offered chaperones and displayed information clearly in the waiting area.

National GP Patient Survey (2025) data reflected people felt listened to and were treated with kindness. For example, 86% of respondents stated during their last GP appointment the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at treating them with care and concern, which was above the local average and in line with the national average.

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. People’s personal, cultural, social, religious and equality characteristics needs were understood and met. Individual communication needs were met to enable them to be fully involved in their care.

All staff had completed equality and diversity training and understood when people might need extra support or reasonable adjustments. Leaders promoted cultural awareness, enabling staff to offer culturally sensitive care, such as flexible appointments and adapted communication. The service also made reasonable adjustments for people with hearing impairments, including alerts in the service’s clinical system for interpreter or sign language needs, to ensure inclusive communication.

People with a learning disability were offered longer appointments and had access to a sensory‑needs box and communication tools. The serviced improved uptake of annual health reviews for people with a learning disability by booking appointments directly and phoning people the day before, replacing text reminders that staff found were not effective. This approach had resulted in lower ‘Did not Attend’ rates and the completion of learning disability health checks rose to 92%, compared to an initial target of 80%.

The service was accredited as veteran-friendly, and people were asked about their military status during registration. Such people were coded as veterans in the clinical system, which meant staff could quickly identify them, provide priority care for service-related issues, and refer them to appropriate support. The service appointed a designated GP lead for military veterans, who completed Veteran’s Health training for clinicians and supported improvements in care for veterans and their families.

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 people and their carers to access advocacy and community-based services.

All people registered with the service had a named GP but were offered choice and flexibility. They could request appointments with a specific GP or a GP of their preferred gender, supporting personalised and inclusive care.

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. Staff tailored care to individual needs, including providing GP home visits for people who were housebound and arranging additional home visits through the primary care network (PCN) paramedic service.

There was a system for appointment triage ensuring people with immediate needs had access to services. Reception staff received training and were provided with the necessary resources to effectively support this process. People’s needs were usually managed on the day of contact with the service; the remaining were either signposted or offered an appointment in the future.

Staff we spoke with knew the process for referral to emergency support, including mental health crisis teams. Staff worked closely with the social prescriber to support people’s independence through a range of programmes and groups,such as walking and gardening groups.

The service ensured that the immediate needs of residents in its two aligned care homes were met by providing a direct bypass number for staff. This allowed care home staff to reach the duty doctor promptly, so urgent medical issues could be addressed without delay. Feedback sent directly to CQC, from both care homes, was highly positive, highlighting reliable weekly ward rounds, strong responsiveness between visits, and clear allocation of a dedicated GP. Routine reviews were carried out effectively, and no concerns were raised about access to timely or appropriate care. One care home also reported excellent continuity during a recent GP handover and praised the person‑centred approach, particularly for residents with complex needs, such as dementia. Overall, the service was viewed as responsive, coordinated and compassionate.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff said they felt valued by leaders, who supported their wellbeing by providing safe working conditions, regular breaks and rest areas. Leaders also gathered feedback through annual staff surveys to help improve the service.

Staff reported a positive work environment with strong support systems. They felt supported during workplace challenges, and flexible arrangements were provided as needed. Team-building events and birthday celebrations helped strengthen relationships and promote wellbeing. Staff reported the provider prioritised staff wellbeing, organising social activities such as regular team park runs for those who wished to take part.