Stock Surgery

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.

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 practice staff had a shared direction and culture. The leaders stated they were dedicated to fostering a culture of continuous learning, professional development, and excellence in patient care. The staff had a commitment to teaching and training.

The practice as part of the PCN had a clear vision to deliver a wide range of services to their registered patients. This included quality improvement, patient experience, operational efficiency, financial stability and workforce development. The practice had a business continuity plan to allow them to operate under exceptional and adverse circumstances.

The practice had inclusive leaders 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 and experience to lead effectively.

Staff told us leaders in the practice was approachable and responded to any concerns raised. Staff also told us they liked working at the practice, were well supported and happy in their roles. We saw the leadership team worked with other practices in the primary care network and were engaged in the development of primary care services within the local area.

Leaders told us they lead the practice by example, respectfully and that this impacts the workforce and compassionate patient care.

The practice had a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

Staff were aware of how to raise concerns. There was a whistleblowing policy in place. Staff spoken with and those who completed questionnaires said they would feel comfortable in making their views heard.

The practice had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. They listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

There was a clear process for identifying, recording and sharing information regarding significant events. Leaders and staff told us they knew how to identify and report concerns, safety incidents and near misses both internally and externally. They were able to discuss evidence of learning and dissemination of information and we observed these were discussed at significant event meetings. Staff spoken with and those who completed a questionnaire said they felt comfortable raising concerns and that there was both an open culture and an open-door approach.

The practice had a system in place to manage safety alerts. As part of our assessment, clinical record searches of the practice electronic system were undertaken by a CQC GP Specialist Advisor. These searches were visible to the practice. We reviewed a sample of patient records who may have been affected by a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) alert and found a small number of patients had not been followed up and informed of any possible adverse effects of the medicine. The practice took immediate action to address this and made changes to ensure their process was more robust.

The practice 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 or who completed a questionnaire were clear on their individual roles and responsibilities. Managers met with staff 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. Regular practice meetings were held with staff, as were clinical meetings and significant event meetings. Actions arising were clearly recorded and shared as required. Staff took patient confidentiality and information security seriously.

The practice was small and staff told us they speak to each other daily to share information as appropriate.

The practice understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work well for people. They share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement.

The provider worked with other practices within their primary care network to offer extended access to appointments and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and flu vaccinations. As part of the PCN the practice had access to additional healthcare professionals, including pharmacists and paramedics, social prescribers and a well-being coach. Additionally, there was access for patients to physiotherapy and mental health practitioners.

The practice told us they were active participants in the PCN while also retaining their village practice identity to help ensure continuity of care for their patients.

The practice 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 had been approved as a training practice, to train new GPs although had not started doing so at the time of the assessment. Additionally, the practice was involved in research studies focused on enhancing patient care and meeting the needs of their patient population.

Staff who completed questionnaires told us that improvement and innovation were discussed at staff meetings and that they were listened to and encouraged to present their views. Leaders told us they encouraged staff to present their views as they may have a different perspective which the leaders could learn from.

The practice told us they contributed to a local community initiative to help ensure people could access the community and hospital appointments.