Dr A Riaz and Mrs Shabana Riaz

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 80 (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 was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.
Arrangements were in place to promote people’s privacy. The service performed better than the national average in the results of the National GP Patient Survey 2026. All 5 indicators relating to caring were above the national averages. For example, 93% of respondents to the survey felt the healthcare professional at their last appointment was good at treating them with care and concern, compared with the local average of 87% and national average of 86%. In addition, 97% of respondents to the survey said during their last appointment, the healthcare professional was good at listening to them, compared to the local and national average of 87%.
This was mirrored in feedback received by the CQC via our Give Feedback on Care Service. In preparation for this assessment, we received feedback from 13 people. People shared extremely positive experiences about the care and treatment they had received from staff at the practice. People told us staff were polite, friendly, respectful, very supportive and helpful. Feedback gathered through the Friends and Family test that we reviewed for the last quarter was also overwhelmingly positive regarding the care people received. Staff were described as first class, very friendly, extremely helpful, kind, warm, polite, reassuring and a brilliant team of healthcare professionals. People were unable to suggest how the service provided could be improved.
On the day of our site visit we observed staff showing kindness and empathy to patients. Staff shared an example with us of how all of the team had gone the extra mile to provide help to a person who was made vulnerable.
The practice had 111 people registered as carers, including 3 people under the age of 18 years old. Carers were identified and flagged on the practice system to ensure staff understood their circumstances and were able to offer appropriate support. Flexible and longer appointments were offered to fit around their caring responsibilities. Carers were offered health checks, vaccinations and were signposted to other services for support. For example, local support groups, respite services, benefits advice, and social care assessments.
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 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. Leaders were considering providing staff with transgender training and had developed a crib sheet in the interim to support reception staff.
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.
 

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. Information was available within the practice promoting these services.
 

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 shared examples of how they had responded to their patients’ needs, including collecting samples from housebound people on their way home and obtaining the loan of wheelchair to assist people with limited mobility when attending appointments.
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.
 

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.
Staff told us they were valued by leaders. Leaders had taken steps to recognise and meet the wellbeing needs of staff, which included the necessary resources and facilities for safe working, such as regular breaks and rest areas. Reasonable adjustments had been considered and accommodated, including specific equipment needs and flexible working arrangements.
Team meetings and lunch events were well established in addition to social events. Succession planning was considered with staff supported to develop in their roles. Staff had access to a psychological wellbeing hub offered through the local Integrated Care Board. Information was available in the staff room about a range of simple desk exercises to relieve tension and boost energy.