Abbottswood Medical Centre

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• 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 85 (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 treated people with kindness, empathy, and compassion. Feedback from those who used the service was positive, highlighting the respectful and compassionate approach of staff. Patients reported that their privacy and dignity were well maintained throughout their interactions with the practice. Staff were chaperoned trained and understood the importance of maintaining a patient’s dignity during intimate examinations.Arrangements were in place to promote patients’ privacy. For example, private areas were available for patients if this was preferred, chaperones were available, privacy curtains were in all clinical rooms.

Results from the National GP Patient Survey were consistently higher than both the local and national averages. For example, 94% of respondents felt the healthcare professional was good at listening to them. This was above the local average of 89% and above the national average of 87%. 93% of respondents felt they were treated with care and concern during their last appointment. This was above the local average of 88% and above the national average of 86%. Similarly, 94% of respondents found the reception and administrative team helpful. This was above the local average of 88% and above the national average of 83%.

The provider had a passionate end of life team that had caring approach. Palliative patients were monitored closely and were given the support needed. Staff recognised the importance of building a good rapport with patients. Staff demonstrated that they considered patients specific needs and wishes such as their preferred place of death. They reached out and supported family members during bereavement; they provided Macmillan support, offered counselling and ensured family members knew they could speak to clinicians to express how they feel. The practice received positive feedback from relatives, expressing their gratitude to the practice for providing the needed support.

The patient participation group expressed how they felt they were always treated with kindness and compassion by both clinical and non-clinical staff. As part of our assessment, we invited patients to provide us with their feedback about the practice via our ‘Give Feedback on Care’ process. We received positive feedback around kindness, compassion and dignity. For example, a patient referred to the practice staff as outstanding and expressed gratitude for the thoroughness and care received during their appointment. Another patient expressed how they had a longer appointment allocated to them and staff bent over backwards to help. Another patient described the team as exceptional and will always go beyond their call of duty.

The practice treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. Personal, cultural, social, religious and equality characteristic needs were understood and met. Patient requirements were recorded on the patient record and were coded. For example, communication needs such as translation and interpretation services were recorded and available. Communication preferences were also considered. For example, if patients had difficulty using the NHS app or could not access the information needed online, a note was added to their record to ensure all information was delivered by a paper copy. Carers were also coded on the system. A member of staff had been appointed the carers champion to ensure there was support in place for this group of people. Processes were available to ensure carers could be identified, and action taken to ensure they received the care and support needed. For example, carers were offered appointment flexibility to accommodate their caring responsibilities.

We saw evidence of support tools and advice to aid people’s independence and support. For example, staff had completed ‘learning disability and autism support’ training to ensure patients who may have found it difficult to access services independently and with specific needs were appropriately cared for. For example, patients having a learning disability health check received pre-check questionnaires in an easy read format and the health checks were booked in with the same clinician to build familiarity. The practice was also accredited as Veteran Friendly and had proactively identified patients with a military background to raise awareness of available support services.

The practice established ‘The Abbottswood Fund,’ this charity was used to support members of the community and promote their independence and help with their wellbeing. The practice evaluated the needs of their patient population and provided activities to reflect this. For example, the charity supported Wick Care Farm that worked with adults and young people to help improve confidence, skills and mental health through therapeutic activity. The Abbottswood Fund also created ‘Singing for Health’ and mindfulness sessions to support people with long covid, COPD, breathlessness, anxiety, isolation or low mood. The Abbottswood Fund also collaborated with local organisations to join the ‘St Andrew’s Garden Project’ which was a community garden initiative to create a sensory green space to benefit people’s mental and physical wellbeing.

The practice promoted people’s independence and support them to make decisions about their care, treatment and wellbeing. They provided patients with information and guidance to enable them to make informed decisions about their care.Staff shared examples of how they supported people to have choice and control over their own care, treatment and well-being. National GP Patient Survey data showed that 93% of the respondents felt involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment during their last general practice appointment, which was higher than the national average of 91%. Staff ensured that all necessary information was accessible between services to ensure patient preferences were met to support and maximise patient’s independence and outcomes from care and treatment. Reception staff were able to signpost patients to services appropriate to their needs including advocacy and community-based 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 knew how to respond when a patient needed urgent attention and knew the processes to follow to ensure emergency support was given. For example, staff recalled an incident where a patient had collapsed in the car park. Staff attended to this patient and brought them into the practice and gave them a private space to be assessed and recover.

Members of the team had been provided with training on care navigation and in basic life support. Staff carried out reviews and monitoring for people and altered their medicines when necessary to meet their changing needs.There was a system for appointment triage that ensured people with immediate needs had access to services. A duty doctor was available each day to support the reception team in care navigation. The duty doctor answered queries to ensure receptionists safely and efficiently direct patients to the most appropriate clinician. The appointment triage model adopted by the practice meant that patients no longer had to wait in a telephone queue and were responded to and seen in a timely manner.

The practice always cared for and supported their staff and were exceptional at promoting staff wellbeing. Leaders told us they valued their colleagues and wanted to ensure that staff felt like there was no hierarchy. There was a staff wellbeing policy. Staff told us it was a genuinely caring and compassionate organisation. Leaders had taken steps to recognise and meet the wellbeing needs of staff. For example, a staff survey was distributed, completed and analysed, ‘Wellbeing Wednesdays’ were introduced to treat staff each week, involving fun exercises that staff can get involved in, fruit baskets were delivered regularly, new uniforms were implemented, staff were offered enhanced breaks regardless of the hours worked and were encouraged to leave their workspace and go for a walk. The practice also organised social events, fish and chip lunches and skittles evenings to promote the health and wellbeing of their staff. Cleaning staff were also invited to social events, even though they were not directly employed by the practice. Workplace adjustments were also put in place to suit staff needs. For example, members of staff had been supported through poor health and bereavements, way beyond contractual obligations. Staff feedback reflected this positive outlook on wellbeing. Staff felt it was a happy place to work and felt supported. They described management as approachable with a true sense that partners really cared about staff happiness and morale.