Thurleigh Road 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 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.

Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. Managers worked with the local community to deliver the best possible care and were receptive to new ideas. There was a culture of continuous improvement with staff given time and resources to try new ideas.

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 had a shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

All staff had contributed to the development of the practice vision and strategy, which was kept under review. The practice was aware of the projected increase in the local population and was working with partner agencies to address future challenges.

One of the GP partners said, “we are consistently reviewing our processes to improve our service”. One of the areas they focussed on was recruiting more staff, also working with the PPG developing their webpage making it more user friendly and informative. Also improving access, for example partners told us about their new cloud-based telephone system which gave information about a patient’s place in the phone queue and also offers the option for the surgery to phone the patient back to save waiting on the phone.

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. The practice told us they operated a no-blame learning culture which would provide all staff with an open and equal working relationship.

Staff told us leaders in the practice was approachable and responded to any concerns raised. Staff also told us leaders modelled the values of the practice. Staff used words such as “supportive”, “approachable” and “welcoming” when they described leaders who they worked with. This was supported by access to private counselling services, provided by the practice for any staff who needed this for well-being purposes.

We saw that all permanent staff had completed equality and diversity training. Leaders understood the importance of protecting individuals from discrimination and promoting equality in the workplace.

We saw the leadership team (GPs and nurse leads) worked with other practices in the primary care network and were engaged in the development of primary care services within the local area.

The service fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff said there were no barriers to speaking up and their views were listened to and acted upon. This aligned with the management approach of being actively engaged with staff to seek their views.

The practice had established Freedom to Speak up arrangements with other practices in the primary care network. Staff were aware of how to raise 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 promote diversity and equality were in place.

We did not receive any negative feedback from practice staff in regard to equality, diversity and inclusion. Staff said they felt supported by management and worked as part of a team.

The practice had a mission statement, recruitment policy and induction policy and procedures for new starters. These and other policies and procedures embedded within the running of the practice, set out the practice’s vision in relation to its staff, ensuring all were equally treated and had access to opportunities for progression.

The service had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and share this securely with others when appropriate.

Leaders and managers supported staff, and all staff we spoke with were clear on their individual roles and responsibilities. Staff we spoke with knew who the relevant lead person was for areas such as safeguarding, infection control and significant events monitoring.

Managers met with staff regularly to complete appraisals and performance reviews. The provider had established governance processes that were appropriate for their service. Staff could access all required policies and procedures. Managers held regular practice meetings with staff, during which they discussed clinical concerns and emerging risks. Practice meetings were held every 6-8 weeks for all leads and partners. Nursing teams meetings were held weekly and admin meetings every month. In addition to this the practice held daily huddle meetings where all staff could attend. This enabled staff an opportunity to provide input on ideas and experiences. Leaders also said it assisted with the general oversight of managing the practice. We reviewed a sample of minutes from all the meetings for the previous 6 months. The meetings were well attended, and minutes could be accessed on the shared drive.

Staff mentioned in clinical meetings they have consultants that come in and they give education and training.

Managers clearly recorded any actions arising from these meetings and ensured they shared these with staff. Staff took patient confidentiality and information security seriously. All staff had completed information governance training. Staff told us they locked their screens if they were away from them.

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 collaborate for improvement.

We received feedback from the Patient Participation Group (PPG). The PPG meets every 6 months, they found the practice to be open and honest and listened to concerns raised by PPG members, for example the PPG raised concerns in relation access and the new total triage system (an electronic system where every patient contacting a GP practice provides information about the reason for their contact before any appointment is booked, and patients being excluded the practice told them that any patients that had difficulties could still phone, or come in person and staff would help them to complete the online form.

The practice and the PPG organised coffee mornings at the most recent event in May 2025, 300 patients turned up.

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

The practice was a training practice, and two of the partners were GP trainers, at the time of the assessment there was two GP registrar.

The practice had a quality improvement plan in place to help drive improvements in services. They also had an action plan which reviewed data from the national GP Patient survey, this focussed on staff and the appointment system. All staff were encouraged to put forward and test out new ways of working. During the assessment the practice had signed up for the National Diabetes Audit and cardiovascular disease(CVD) national audit.

In February 2025 the practice PPG had been awarded a commendation and certificate for the London General Practice award for their engagement and contribution to improving patients experience within the practice.