Fell Cottage Surgery

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.

Arrangements were in place to promote patients’ privacy. 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 National GP Patient Survey results in the caring category were consistently above the national average, for example:

Survey data reflected people felt listened to and were treated with kindness. Of those who responded, 97.5% of patients stated that the last time they had a general practice appointment, the healthcare professional was good or very good at listening to them (30/12/2024 to 01/04/2025) compared to the national average of 86.9%.

Patients who stated that the last time they had a general practice appointment, the healthcare professional was good or very good at treating them with care and concern, was 97.4% (national average, 85.6%).

The percentage of respondents who stated that during their last GP appointment they had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was 96.4% (national average, 92.5%).

The practice provided some patient feedback they had received, and we saw numerous thank you cards displayed in the practice office. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive and spoke of the kind, caring and thoughtful staff and the difference this had made for patients and their families.

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.

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 held a register of patients living in vulnerable circumstances including patients with a learning disability, offering longer appointments when needed. The practice had access for patients with physical disabilities and a hearing loop.

The practice had 517 carers identified on its register, an increase of 27 over the past year. There was also a carers champion who provided guidance to staff and patients. The waiting room included a dedicated carers section, with carer identification forms for patients to complete and submit to reception. These forms allowed carers to indicate whether they wished to arrange an appointment with a GP to discuss support or referral to social services, as well as provide consent to receive information about local carer support services. An alert was added to the carers record so clinicians could check on their welfare during appointments. The practice also offered influenza vaccinations to carers.

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 patients and their carers to access advocacy and community-based services. They referred patients to their social prescriber to ensure patients social care needs were met as well as their clinical needs.

National GP Patient Survey data reflected people’s involvement in their care. Of those who responded, 99.4% of patients stated that the last time they had a general practice appointment, they were involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment, (30/12/2024 to 1/04/2025). This was significantly above the national average of 91.2%.

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.

There was a system for appointment triage that ensured people with immediate needs had access to services. Staff we spoke with knew the process for referral to emergency support, including mental health crisis teams.

We were provided with examples where staff had identified declining patients and alerted a doctor immediately, ensuring that unwell patients received an immediate response.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff were positive about working at the practice and told us they felt valued, respected and listened to by leaders. They described a strong team culture, and we observed staff working well together in an inclusive environment to support positive outcomes for patients.

Leaders took active steps to recognise and support the wellbeing needs of staff by providing appropriate resources and facilities for safe working, including regular breaks and access to rest areas. We observed all staff making good use of the kitchen/rest room, which not only supported wellbeing but also encouraged informal interaction and team building. Staff described this space as helping them to connect with colleagues, share experiences, and strengthen working relationships.

All staff spoke positively about the support they received from management and the lead GPs in relation to wellbeing at work. We saw there was a staff newsletter promoting wellbeing and providing helpful links for staff for care and advice. It also introduced new staff members, mentioned birthdays and a variety of practice news to support and inform staff. They described the practice as a friendly workplace that made their work feel rewarding. Staff also reported feeling supported when they were struggling at work.

The practice had signed up to the Menopause Workplace Pledge. This is a commitment for employers and employees to create a supportive, menopause-positive workplace for staff across the UK. In addition, the practice achieved silver accreditation in recognition of its commitment to the NHS People Promise reflecting its contribution to fostering a positive, inclusive, and supportive working environment. This is a National Initiative that is promoted locally by the Integrated Care board (ICB).