- GP practice
The Cedar Brook Practice Also known as The Cedar Brook Practice
Report from 19 June 2025 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 20/08/25 to 21/08/25. The Cedar Brook Practice is a GP practice and delivers service to approximately 11,000 patients under a GMS contract held with NHS England. The National General Practice Profiles states that patient ethnicity is 39% Asian, 37% White, 11% Black, 4% Mixed and 9% Other. Information published by Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that deprivation within the practice population group is in the fifth decile (5 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the practice population is relative to others. This assessment considered the demographics of the people using the service, the context the service was working within and how this impacted service delivery. Where relevant, further commentary is provided in the quality statements section of this report. This was a comprehensive assessment carried out because of the length of time since our last assessment of the service.
The service had a good learning culture and people could raise concerns. Managers investigated incidents thoroughly. People were protected and kept safe. Staff understood and managed risks. The facilities and equipment met the needs of people, were clean and well-maintained and any risks mitigated. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. Although current staff sickness was impacting the service provided. Managers made sure staff received training and regular appraisals to maintain high-quality care. Staff managed medicines well and involved people in planning any changes.
People were involved in assessments of their needs. Staff reviewed assessments taking account of people’s communication, personal and health needs. Care was based on latest evidence and good practice. Staff worked with all agencies involved in people’s care for the best outcomes and smooth transitions when moving services. Staff made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent. Staff involved those important to people took decisions in people’s best interests where they did not have capacity.
People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. People had choice in their care and treatment. The service supported staff wellbeing.
People were involved in decisions about their care. The service provided information people could understand. People knew how to give feedback and were confident the service took it seriously and acted on it. The service was generally accessible and worked to eliminate discrimination. People received fair and equal care and treatment. The service worked to reduce health and care inequalities through training and feedback. People were involved in planning their care and understood options around choosing to withdraw or not receive care.
Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. Managers worked with the local community to deliver the best possible care and were receptive to new ideas. There was a culture of continuous improvement with staff given time and resources to try new ideas.
People's experience of this service
There was mixed feedback from people about the quality of their care and treatment. The most recent results from the National GP Patient Survey published in July 2025 were generally below average. For example, 55.7% of people responded positively to the overall experience of contacting the GP practice compared to the national average of 69.6% and 20.7% responded positively to how easy it was to contact their GP practice by phone compared to the national average of 52.9%. Similarly, 56.3% of people responded positively to their overall experience of the GP practice compared to the national average of 75.4%.
Results from the NHS Friends and Family Test, showed people were generally satisfied with services. Results analysed by the practice in May 2025 showed that from 160 responses collected online, 98 rated the practice as very good and 39 rated the practice as good.
The practice had a patient participation group (PPG). We spoke to 2 representatives from the PPG. One representative was very happy with the service provided reporting that the service received was far better than their previous GP practice. The second representative told us that care and treatment could be improved for people with multiple health conditions as it was not always delivered in a holistic way.
Feedback received directly to CQC was also mixed. People raised issues about referrals, access and the attitude of reception staff whilst others provided positive feedback in relation to their interactions with clinical staff.