Northgate Medical Centre

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

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.

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 service had a shared vision, strategy and culture. The service mission was to provide accessible, high-quality healthcare through close collaboration with patients, their families, and the wider community. Strive to deliver compassionate, evidence-informed care, embrace innovation, and continually enhance our services to support and improve health and wellbeing for everyone.

All staff contributed to the development of the practice vision and strategy, which was kept under review. Staff told us the culture within the practice was positive. They told us it was a friendly environment to work in, the culture was open, transparent and non-discriminatory.

The service had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

The service fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff knew who their Freedom to Speak Up Guardian (FTSUP) was and how they would raise concerns.

The practice had clear policies and procedures accessible to all staff. For example, there was a whistleblowing and duty of candour policy in place. All staff had undertaken and completed equality and diversity training.

The practice had policies and procedures in place to promote diversity, equality and safe recruitment practices. The practice actively valued an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them.

An induction process was in place for newly appointed staff. As part of the core training all staff had completed equality and diversity training. Staff were supported through regular appraisals, and clinical supervision reinforcing the service commitment to inclusive practice.

The service had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and share this securely with others when appropriate.

Leaders and managers supported staff, and all staff we spoke with were clear on their individual roles and responsibilities.

Managers met with staff regularly to complete appraisals and performance reviews. The provider had established governance processes that were appropriate for their service. Staff could access all required policies and procedures. Managers held regular practice meetings with staff, during which they discussed clinical concerns and emerging risks. Managers clearly recorded any actions arising from these meetings and ensured they shared these with staff. Staff took patient confidentiality and information security seriously.

The service understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people. They share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement.

Leaders and managers supported staff, and all with told us they were clear on their individual roles and responsibilities. Leaders worked closely with other practices within the local Primary Care Network (PCN) to deliver extended access services including Saturday clinics held at the practice. Multidisciplinary meetings were routinely held to review and improve outcomes for patients with complex needs.

There was an active Patient Participation Group (PPG) operating at the practice. Members of the PPG reported that the practice was supportive and receptive to the patient voice, actively involving them in initiatives such as health promotion and enhancements to the waiting area. Minutes of the PPG meetings were displayed in the waiting area, demonstrating the practice’s commitment to transparency and patient engagement.

The service demonstrated a commitment to continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. Leaders encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people.

The practice had a structured improvement plan to support improvements in services. For example, a neighbourhood priority plan, which outlined their ambition to develop better links with community services and improve patient care.

The practice was a teaching practice for all undergraduate years and GP trainees including student nurses. The practice also offered work experience for secondary school pupils which had been positive.

The practice was actively involved with clinical research.