Cheddar Medical Centre

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

We looked for evidence the service met people’s needs, and staff treated people equally and without discrimination. 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.

We did not look at Person-centred Care during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Care provision, Integration and continuity during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Providing Information during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Listening to and involving people during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

The service made sure people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

The service performed either in line with or above the national average in most of the results of the 2025 National GP Patient Survey relating to accessing the service. This showed people could access the service when they needed it in a way that suited their needs, such as by telephone, in person or through the service’s website. For example, 79% of respondents to the survey described their overall experience of contacting this service as being good, compared to a local and national average of 70%. Since the assessment, the 2026 National GP Patient Survey results have been published. The new data suggests responders’ reporting a good overall experience of contacting the service has improved to 86% in 2026.

Appointments were available to meet people’s needs. For example, same-day urgent appointments were available on the day of the onsite visit. Routine appointments were available to book for male GPs however, there was no availability for appointments with female GPs. We were told if people specifically requested a routine appointment with a female GP, they would still be offered a routine appointment with a male GP or, potentially be accommodated by being allocated one of the same-day urgent appointments with a female clinician.

All treatment rooms were available on the ground floor, and a ramp and automatic door had been fitted to the entrance to ensure ease of access to the service.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who were most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes. They tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this. People could be referred to a care coordinator who provided practical and emotional support whilst people waited for an appointment with other talking therapy services.

Staff treated people equally and without discrimination. They had completed training in equality and diversity and learning disability and autism awareness. This supported staff to understand the importance of providing an inclusive approach to care and to make adjustments to support equity in people’s experience and outcomes.

Leaders proactively sought ways to address any barriers to improving people’s experience and worked with local services, to address any local health inequalities. They were aware people valued contacting the service by phone and told us they were committed to maintaining good phone access for those that may be digitally excluded. This was evidenced by the 2025 National GP Patient Survey where 73% of respondents said it was easy to access the service by phone compared with 57% locally and 53% nationally. Since the assessment, the 2026 National GP Patient Survey results have been published. The new data suggests improvements with 80% of responders now find it easy to contact this service by phone.

Staff followed processes to ensure people could register at the service, including those in vulnerable circumstances such as homeless people and Travellers.

Staff used systems to capture and review feedback from people who used the service. This was reflected in the positive NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) feedback shared with us by the service. (FFT is a tool to give people who used the service an opportunity to feedback).

We did not look at Planning for the future during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.