Spring Gardens Group Medical 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 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 meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.

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.

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. Staff were encouraged to contribute 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.

The service had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support, and who embodied the culture and values of both the workforce and the organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively and did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

Staff told us recent changes in leadership, including GP partners becoming more actively involved in the day‑to‑day oversight of the practice, had improved the working environment. Staff also told us leaders within the practice were approachable and responsive to concerns raised, and they consistently modelled the values of the practice.

We saw the leadership team worked collaboratively with other practices within the primary care network and were actively engaged in the development of primary care services across the local area.

The service fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. 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, and we saw examples where staff had used the arrangements in place to positive effect.

The service valued diversity in their workforce. They worked 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. Adjustments had been made to ensure all staff were valued, including those with health concerns or disabilities.

The service had clear lines of responsibility and accountability, supported by effective systems and processes to ensure good governance. These arrangements were used to monitor, manage, and improve the quality and sustainability of care, treatment, and support. Leaders used reliable information to understand performance, manage risk, and support positive outcomes, and shared information securely with relevant agencies when appropriate.

Leaders and managers were visible and supportive, and all staff spoken with during the onsite visit were clear about their roles and responsibilities. Regular appraisals and performance reviews were in place to support staff development. Appropriate governance systems had been established, and staff were able to access up-to-date policies and procedures relevant to their roles. Leaders held regular practice meetings with staff to discuss clinical issues, performance, and emerging risks. Actions agreed at these meetings were clearly documented, monitored, and shared with staff. There was a strong focus on maintaining patient confidentiality and ensuring effective information governance.

Leaders had recently introduced a new management structure to strengthen oversight of the day-to-day running of the practice. This included a GP partner taking on the role of practice manager, supported by a robust management framework. This had resulted in increased support for staff and improved oversight of quality and safety. Leaders had strengthened quality improvement activity, including the completion of second and third-cycle audits and improvements to recruitment record management, demonstrating a commitment to learning and continuous improvement.

The service understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement. The provider worked with other practices within their primary care network (PCN) to offer extended access such as a Workwell Project to support people to return to work, Saturday morning clinics for hard-to-reach diabetics and women’s health hubs.

Leaders had used their involvement and roles within the PCN to ensure the practice was at the forefront of any opportunities offered to be involved in improving the health of their local community.

Leaders demonstrated a strong and sustained commitment to continuous learning, innovation and improvement across both the organisation and the wider local system. They consistently encouraged creative and forward thinking approaches to delivering equality of experience, improved outcomes and enhanced quality of life for people. Leaders actively contributed to safe, effective practice and the advancement of research, fostering a culture where learning was embedded into everyday care.

Staff were actively supported to participate in a wide range of research projects. This included a collaborative initiative to improve information sharing across NHS services to map a patient’s journey, enabling clearer classification of individual risk and more responsive care. Other recent studies explored opportunities to reduce prescribing of blood pressure medicines to people aged over 75, lifestyle support following cancer, improving functional outcomes after stroke, and the prevention of self harm among 16–25-year-olds.

Learning from these projects was systematically shared during protected learning time, ensuring all staff benefited from increased knowledge, skills and training. The practice had a long-established role as a GP training practice and demonstrated the positive impact of this, with several former trainees choosing to return to work at the practice. In addition, the practice supported medical students from a local university and actively encouraged nursing staff to undertake further professional development, including independent and supplementary prescribing qualifications. This investment in staff development enabled the practice to broaden the range of services offered to the local community.

To further strengthen its research capability, the practice had recently appointed a nurse with specialist training in research, providing dedicated leadership and focus in this area.