Updated 10 June 2025
Date of Assessment:18 July 2025 to 22 July 2025. St John’s Medical Centre is a GP practice and delivers services to 8921 patients under a contract held with NHS England. St John’s Medical Centre is part of the Modality Partnership, which have 8 GP practice sites operating across Walsall. The provider took over the running of the practice on 1 April 2018. The practice had previously been rated Good overall at an inspection that took place in August 2016 under the registration of the previous provider.
The National General Practice Profiles states that 90.2% of patients registered at St John's Medical Centre are White, 4.5%; Asian, 2% are Black, 2.4% are mixed and 0.8% are other ethnic groups.Information published by Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows deprivation within the practice population group is in the 5th 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.
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 visibly clean and well-maintained and any risks mitigated. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. Managers made sure staff received training and regular appraisals to maintain high-quality care. However, staff did not always manage medicines well or involve 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. 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 to take decisions in people’s best interests where they did not have capacity. However, patients with long term conditions, were not always monitored appropriately or in a timely manner, and cervical screening rates did not meet national targets.
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. However, patient feedback ranged from very good, to concerns around access, administration and general care.
The service provided information people could understand. People received fair and equitable 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. The surgery worked to eliminate discrimination. However, the service was not always easy to access, and patients did not always understand why changes to the traditional systems of access were made.
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.