Abbottswood 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 that the service met people’s needs, and that 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 86 (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 made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices. Our review of clinical records showed patients were supported to understand their condition and were involved in decisions around their care needs. Data from the National Patient survey showed that 91% of respondents described their overall experience at the practice as good compared to the local average of 81% and the national average of 75%. The practice worked in partnership with other organisations to decide how best to respond to any relevant changes in patient’s needs. Accessible standards and barriers to care were considered for patients, as alerts were added to medical records so that the receptionists were aware that the patient had additional needs and knew how to accommodate these. For example, sensory items and a quiet place to wait for appointments was available for patients if this was preferred. The practice shared a positive testimonial from a family member of a palliative patient, thanking them for the home visit and discussion had to provide the personalised support needed during a difficult time.

The practice used patient feedback to identify areas for improvement and made necessary adjustments to ensure patient care was optimum. The patient participation group were very enthusiastic about their involvement with the practice and assured us any suggestions were taken seriously to improve patient care. For example, following patient feedback, the prescription signage outside the practice was updated to become easy read. Patients had access to appointments provided by a range of clinicians. Leaders and staff we spoke with, felt patients were directed to the right clinician the first time due to the triage system which enabled them to provide effective person-centred care.

The practice understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. The practice worked in partnership with other services to meet the needs of its patient population. Information about patients care and treatment needs was available to share between services as required. They tailored their services to meet the diverse needs of patients and promoted health education and preventative care initiatives. National GP Patient Survey results highlighted 69% of respondents felt they have had enough support from local services or organisations in the last 12 months to help manage their long-term conditions or illnesses which was in line with the national average.

The practice supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. Information provided by the service met the Accessible Information Standard. The practice had access to interpreter services, including British Sign Language. The practice website was available in different languages and included information about how to make a complaint. The complaint leaflet was also available at the practice. Most complaints were dealt with in line with their policy, however not all complaint responses included details for the patient to contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) if they remained unsatisfied with the complaint outcome. The practice acknowledged this feedback and have since provided us with evidence that their complaints policy and protocol have been updated and a template is now in use to ensure patients receive the required information. The lessons learnt from complaints were discussed and shared in staff meetings to ensure all staff were aware of the consequential changes. Patients were informed about how to access their care records. A range of health and wellbeing leaflets and posters were on display for patient information.

The practice was enabled people to share feedback and ideas about their care and treatment. There were many ways to leave feedback, either verbally or written such as complaints and compliments, surveys or suggestions about care, treatment, and support. The practice reviewed all forms of feedback.

The practice had a passionate patient participation group (PPG) and held regular meetings throughout the year. The PPG had a clear vision to embrace learning, engagement and service improvement. A member of the PPG told us they had a good relationship with the practice and felt listened to. These meetings were an opportunity for the practice to listen to the views from their patients. The practice made changes following PPG feedback. For example, the calling screen in the waiting area used for when the clinician was ready to see the patient was changed. The background colour of the screen was changed to become more easy read for patients with poor eyesight and the duration of the text on screen was extended to allow more time for patients with poor mobility to check where they were going . PPG members got involved in helping with the flu and covid clinics and supported patients in reception when the online triage system was developed.

The practice had a complaints policy. All complaints were discussed and reviewed to improve the quality of care. Learning was shared with staff to ensure improvements were made. The practice involved patients and staff and listened to their preferences when making decisions. The NHS National Patient Survey data reported that 94%of respondents said the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at listening to them during their last general practice appointment, which was higher than the national average of 87%. Patient feedback expressed how the clinical pharmacist was excellent, often listening to the patient and changing their medication following the conversations had to ensure the patient needs were met. The PPG have been involved in analysing this data and have developed their own patient survey to gain a further understanding of patient views.

The practice was exceptional at ensuring people could access the care, support and treatment when they needed it. The practice was open from 8.00 am to 6.30 pm Monday to Friday, and offered extended access on Saturdays, once every 3 weeks.The practice was accessible for wheelchair users, and all consultation rooms were accessible on the ground floor. There was a car park on site with designated disabled parking spaces.

Data from the National GP Patient Survey highlighted that all questions related to accessibility were higher than the national average. 64% of respondents found it easy to contact the practice by telephone, in comparison to the national average of 53%. 71% of respondents found it easy to contact the practice by their website, in comparison to the national average of 51%. 75% of respondents found it easy to contact the practice by the NHS app, in comparison to the national average of 49%. 94% of respondents found the receptionists helpful, in comparison to the national average of 83%. The PPG were in the process of developing their own internal patient survey focusing on accessibility, to further understand their patient community and demographic which aligned with their quality improvement project and planned to roll this out in November.

Various appointment types were available such as online, telephone consultations, in person or home visits. The triage system was co-designed by staff and patients and enhanced patient access and safety. It streamlined requests and online submissions were reviewed daily by trained clinicians which resulted in faster response times and improved continuity of care. 92% of online requests were triaged within 24 hours.

The practice offered a dispensing service and had a prescription vending machine located outside the practice, near the entrance. Dispensing patients were able to collect their medication any time to suit them as it was available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Patient feedback was positive about this service as this alleviated the queues for the dispensary when collecting medication.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this. Staff treated people equally, without discrimination. Staff understood the importance of providing an inclusive approach to care and made adjustments to support equity in people’s experience and outcomes. For example, the GP or paramedic would do home visits every day and learning disability health reviews were often completed during quieter times in the day following patient feedback. Leaders proactively sought ways to address any barriers to improve people’s experiences. For example, it was acknowledged that using the new online triage form or NHS app wasn’t easy for all patients, so staff and members of the patient participation group took time to talk through this process with patients and offered support. The practice had processes in place to ensure vulnerable people such as homeless patients or Travellers could register at the practice. For example, there was a wellbeing bus that visited the Travelling community to deliver vaccinations. Carers were recognised during the registration process. Staff used appropriate systems to capture and review feedback from people using the service, including those who did not have access to the internet.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. Our records review showed people were supported to consider their wishes for their end-of-life care, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This information was shared with other services when necessary. The practice also offered home visits where appropriate.Palliative patients were discussed during monthly multi-disciplinary meetings and the vulnerable patients register was updated accordingly.