Forest Group Practice

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

We looked for evidence the service met people’s needs, and staff treated people equally and without discrimination. 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.

We did not look at Person-centred Care during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Care provision, Integration and continuity during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Providing Information during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Listening to and involving people during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

The service was exceptional at ensuring people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

Results from the 2026 National GP Patient Survey collected between January and April showed the service performed in line with national averages for access indicators. For example, 55.9% of respondents reported it was easy to contact the service by phone, compared with a national average of 56.9%. Additionally, 70.8% of respondents rated their overall experience of contacting the service positively, compared with a national average of 72.6%. Most of the feedback we received from people was positive about access to appointments. People could access the service when they needed it in a way that suited their needs, such as by telephone, in person or through the service’s website.

In response to increasing demand and longer waiting times for appointments, leaders had worked closely with an information technology company since 2024 and had been early adopters of technology to improve access and service delivery. This included for example an online system for managing medical and administrative requests and a virtual care navigator. The time people could submit online requests from changed from 8am to 6am. This was supported by staff having staggered start times which enabled earlier signposting for relevant requests. This resulted in a reduction of the number of calls care navigators had to manage between 8am and 9am from 601 to 104. The service also introduced a virtual care navigator which operated solely from 8 to 9am and took and processed all requests, which were overseen by care navigators and a clinician. Between September 2025 and 2026 the service’s data showed 81% of calls were handled by the virtual care navigator to completion and did not require a further call from the person. This had significantly reduced call wait times and enabled staff to focus on responding to people’s needs.

This supported the view that people were successfully using the online system, which was meeting their needs and not needing to phone as soon as the line opened. Outside of these times the virtual care navigator was still available and when call waiting times exceeded 10 minutes, people were diverted to the virtual care navigator. The service also offered a call back system for people who made contact by telephone. All requests for appointments were triaged by a clinician. Arrangements ensured access remained equitable and responsive to individual needs.

Between January 2024 and June 2026, although demand for appointments had stayed constant, the average number of telephone calls received per week reduced from 1120 to 380, the average waiting time for each call had reduced from 5.35 to 2.5 minutes and the average longest waiting time had reduced from 43.6 to 10.5 minutes. Since the introduction of the virtual care navigator in January 2026, the number of calls they handled had increased from 140 to 167 in June 2026. This data showed a significant reduction in telephone demand and therefore shorter waiting times, with additional improvements since the introduction of the virtual care navigator. Leaders planned to further develop the system as the software evolved and people became more familiar with the technology.

The service had sought people’s feedback from March to July 2026 with 78% reporting the system as good or very good. Suggestions for further improvement were being actioned. The most recent data from the Integrated Care Board showed 94% of clinically urgent requests were dealt with on the same day. The service continued to monitor appointment data to ensure efficient use of available appointments and resources.

The service offered a Saturday morning blood-taking clinic in Brandon which had improved local access to diagnostic testing and reduced the impact of transport-related barriers for people living in the area. People we received feedback from were positive about the benefits of this service.

The premises were accessible, with an automatic entrance door and a push button activated door. Staff were easily able to see people who may need support. Interpreter services were available for those people whose first language was not English, and for people with a hearing impairment. A hearing loop was also available.

Leaders and staff actively listened to information about people who were most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes. They tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this. For example, the service identified and acted to improve access to highly effective long-acting reversible contraception, including intrauterine devices (coils). Following completion of specialist training by an advanced nurse practitioner, this service was offered at the Forest Group Practice. This reduced barriers associated with travelling to another location and supported more equitable access to reproductive healthcare. The number of people receiving an intrauterine device fitting increased from 11 people between November 2024 and October 2025, to 39 between November 2025 and October 2026.

Staff treated people equally and without discrimination. Leaders proactively sought ways to address any barriers to improving people’s experience. For example, people with a learning disability were contacted directly to arrange their health check so it was booked at a convenient date and time and any reasonable adjustments needed were discussed, agreed, documented and acted on. Arrangements were in place for care coordinators to engage with people who were more likely to experience inequalities in health and outcomes. This was usually by telephone with escalation arrangements to a GP if repeated contact attempts were unsuccessful. A care home representative told us people received weekly visits from the same GP which had improved outcomes for people.

Staff followed processes to ensure people could register at the service, including those in vulnerable circumstances such as homeless people and Travellers. Staff understood the importance of providing an inclusive approach to care and made adjustments to support equity in people’s experience and outcomes. For example, care navigators supported people to access online services using a digital device available at the service, if they could not do this independently. We observed this during the site visit.

We did not look at Planning for the future during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.