Southway 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 assessed all quality statements in the caring key question. At our last assessment we did not inspect this key question. At this assessment we rated the key question as good. We looked for evidence that the practice involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. People were treated with kindness and compassion. They treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. People had choice in their care and treatment. The practice supported staff wellbeing.

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 usually treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Feedback from patient confirmed this. Staff were able to provide a private area if a person was distressed or wanted to discuss something in confidence. However, during our site visit we saw that patient privacy and dignity was not considered when we overheard a patient completing a triage form with a member of reception. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. Arrangements were in place to promote patients’ privacy.

Staff were aware of the needs of the patient population and displayed understanding and a non-judgemental attitude towards people. For example, staff would use preferred pronouns when speaking with people. Staff told us they gave people appropriate and timely information to understand their care, treatment or condition.

We were also told that staff at the practice supported them with their “Right to Choose” to ensure they were seen within the appropriate time-frame by their chosen organisation and received a timely diagnosis. Right to Choose is a fundamental principle of individual autonomy over choice of care, it emphasises the importance of informed consent and freedom of choice over their healthcare options.

The practice treated people as individuals and made sure care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. Staff had received training on equality, diversity and inclusion.

Patient communication needs were identified and met to enable them to be fully involved in their care. Patient care records reflected their care and treatment needs and were person centred. People’s wishes were recorded on their care record. There was a process to share these records with other local health and care professionals.

The practice promoted people’s independence. 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. The practice displayed leaflets and posters containing information to support people to access their local community programmes such as pregnancy and baby guides and depression, anxiety and stress. The practice website could be translated into a variety of languages to support people who did not speak English as a first language. Their website also included information and guides on bereavement, child health, elderly care, physiotherapy and drugs and alcohol.

The practice listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any distress. CQC received feedback from people who said they found the new online e-consult system great and they were able to get an appointment when needed. There was an appointment triage system that ensured people with immediate needs had access to services either by phone or face to face. Staff we spoke to understood the process for referral to emergency support. This included symptoms that required urgent medical attention. Staff we spoke to knew how to respond if a patient was deteriorating and gave an example of a medical emergency and actions they would take.

There were systems which enabled staff to tailor people’s care and support according to their needs. For example, staff placed alerts on care records if they required longer appointment times or required assistance when completing the online triage form.

The practice cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff. They supported and enabled staff to deliver person-centred care. Steps were taken to recognise and meet the wellbeing needs of staff. This included the necessary resources and facilities for safe working such as regular breaks and rest areas. Staff reported being supported if they were struggling at work and had workplace adjustments to support them and their needs. Whole team meetings were taking place which gave staff a space to raise any concerns. We saw team building days were established within the practice. Leaders have provided a safe space for conversations with staff. Staff told us they felt their workload was manageable and they felt valued by leaders. Policies took account of best practice guidance around lone working, HR, staff safety and workforce wellbeing.