The 157 Medical Practice

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 the practice 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 80 (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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. Staff described a positive working culture, characterised by strong teamwork and a supportive, inclusive environment.

The practice had arrangements to promote people’s privacy. The practice made chaperones available when required and displayed posters throughout the practice. Staff were up-to-date with their chaperone training. The practice provided a range of patient information leaflets in the waiting area, including topics such as sepsis, menopause, stroke and dementia. Staff understood Gillick competency 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 practice provided a private room to discuss sensitive or confidential issues with reception staff away from the waiting area.

The practice performed better than local and national averages in the results of the 2025 National GP Patient Survey. This showed people felt listened to and felt they were treated with kindness. For example, 86% of respondents felt the healthcare professional at their last appointment was good at treating them with care and concern, compared to a national average of 86% and local average of 84%. 78% of respondents felt the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at considering their mental wellbeing during their last general practice appointment compared to a national average of 74% and local average of 72%. This was mirrored in feedback from people we spoke with during our assessment who described staff as “very kind” and “helpful”.

The practice had an active PPG. The PPG and leaders from the practice held regular meetings and worked collaboratively to improve services for patients. A PPG member we spoke with described the practice in very positive terms, highlighting its responsiveness, caring approach, and commitment to meeting patient needs.

The practice demonstrated a caring and inclusive approach to meeting the needs of vulnerable groups. The practice was a safe practice allowing people with no fixed abode to register. All staff were trained to respond to the needs of this group, and the practice worked closely with a nearby homeless shelter as well as the Homeless Inclusion Team within the federation.

They also supported patients with access to employment initiatives, such as the ‘Thrive to Work’ programme, with referrals often triggered using fit notes and patient consultations. The practice supported people with dementia by holding coffee mornings where patients and their carers could meet staff in a relaxed setting. The social prescriber was available to all patients, and staff could refer people for support with issues such as housing and other social needs.

The practice demonstrated a caring and supportive approach to staff. For example, a member of staff who had experienced a recent bereavement was supported with additional time off to travel abroad and manage their bereavement. Leaders responded to staff wellbeing needs by offering flexible duties, including non-patient-facing roles for those experiencing low mood. The practice made reasonable adjustments to meet individual staff needs, including providing a standing desk for a staff member due to their health needs. Staff were encouraged to take part in a federation-wide step challenge promoting health and wellbeing.

We did not look at Treating people as individuals during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.

We did not look at Independence, choice and control during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.

We did not look at Responding to people’s immediate needs during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.

We did not look at Workforce wellbeing and enablement during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.