Langport 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 looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff that chaperoned people were aware of their responsibilities in maintaining a person’s dignity and safety during intimate examinations, we observed notices around the service advising that chaperones were available and how to request a chaperone.

The service had processes for people who required interpreter services and British Sign Language (BSL) support.

National GP Patient Survey data reflected people felt listened to and were treated with kindness. For example, 81% of respondents to the GP Patient Survey stated that during their last appointment, the healthcare professional was very good or good at treating them with care and concern against the national expected average of 85%.

Staff we spoke with understood Gillick competency (Gillick competency refers to the legal ability of a child under 16 to consent to medical treatment without parental consent, provided they have sufficient understanding and intelligence to appreciate the treatment's nature, risks, and alternatives) and there was a process to ensure young adults had control over their own privacy and the amount of parental involvement in managing their care and support.

The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

The provider supported females who did not have access to sanitary products by introducing a “Period Poverty Station” where they could access free products.

The service had a carers champion who also arranged monthly support meetings for carers to attend which provided practical and emotional support as well as guest speakers and information on community events.

People’s personal, cultural, social, religious and equality characteristics needs were understood and met. People’s communication needs were met to enable them to be fully involved in their care.

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

The service had identified 732 people who were carers. This equated to over 5% of the surgery’s population. The computer system alerted staff if a person was also a carer. There was information available for carers to ensure they understood the various avenues of support available to them.

The service set up “Langport Carers group” in September 2022 and this rapidly increased in popularity and become a monthly support meeting for carers who needed advice but also enjoyed finding friendship with others in the same situation. The service told us that having the carers group gives “us” the opportunity to provide help to our carers before their situation becomes unbearable, thus freeing up clinical appointments and ensuring the wellbeing of people who are carers. Feedback received from people who attended these meetings was overwhelmingly positive. Some feedback included:

• “Thank you for introducing me to this excellent group. Through one of your recent speakers, we were encouraged to apply for Attendance Allowance, and we have been awarded it at the higher amount. Thank you for your help.”
• “The group has developed extremely well and is an important facility for the community. Having the Surgery involved gives an added link to the services it provides. Some interesting talks, long may it continue”
• “The carers group is very helpful with great support from the leaders for talking and supporting everyone, sharing ideas, and listening. There are monthly speakers, a table with leaflets giving information on finance, safety, exercise, help on falls and equipment required, will writing, attendance allowance, and applying for pension credit.

The service was able to utilise the services of a well-being coach who could refer people to other relevant services such as the smoking cessation service, weight management and exercise groups as well as local walking groups.

Staff helped people and their carers to access 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.

We reviewed the appointment and triage system and saw urgent medical needs were identified and these were prioritised appropriately. Staff highlighted the support they had from the daily duty doctor who validated decisions and was always available to respond to people’s’ immediate needs.

Staff we spoke with knew the process for referral to emergency support, including mental health crisis teams.

The service always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff told us they were valued by leaders. Leaders had taken steps to recognise and meet the wellbeing needs of staff, which included the necessary resources and facilities for safe working, such as regular breaks and rest areas. We saw leaders provided fresh fruit, tea, coffee and biscuits within the staff areas.

Leaders held monthly staff meetings and well-being meetings. The team also arranged Wednesday lunchtime walks, social events, team building exercises, secret Santa and summer parties.

We received 30 staff surveys during the assessment process and 97% of these described how the culture was one that encouraged and prioritised the well-being of staff and people who use the service, and how approachable and supportive leaders were.

All members of staff we spoke with told us there was a strong emphasis on the safety and wellbeing across all teams. Leaders recognised that staff retention was integral to delivering a high-quality service and encouraged staff development in line with the needs of the individual, as well as the practice, and worked hard to ensure high staff satisfaction.

Staff reported being supported if they were struggling at work. We saw team building days were established within the practice.