Keele 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

This is the first inspection for this service since its registration with CQC with the provider North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust. This key question has been rated as Good.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. The practice demonstrated commitment to person-centred care, promoting dignity, privacy and respect while listening and responding to patient feedback to improve services. Patient survey results showed consistently high levels of trust, confidence and satisfaction, with patients reporting that healthcare staff treated them with kindness, involved them in decisions and considered their mental wellbeing.

The practice demonstrated a strong commitment to meeting the needs of diverse populations, holding Safe Surgery and Veteran Friendly accreditation and providing proactive support for carers through tailored services and wellbeing reviews. The service also worked closely with the university to support students, including international students, to access and understand primary care services, helping to reduce barriers to care and improve engagement. People had choice in their care and treatment. The service supported staff wellbeing.

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.

Arrangements were in place to promote patients’ privacy. Staff that chaperoned patients were aware of their responsibilities in maintaining a person’s dignity and safety, including during an intimate examination. We observed notices around the practice advising that chaperones were available and how to request one.

Staff in receipt of a personal thank you from patients for their kindness and support also received spotlight recognition from the service. Staff also demonstrated professionalism and respect in their interactions with colleagues across partner organisations, supporting collaborative working.

Patient feedback was acknowledged through various avenues one of which was waiting room notice for July 2026 entitled ‘You Said, We Did.’ Which highlighted the actions taken by the service following patient feedback. This highlighted positive patient feedback about being listened to and understood, receiving compassionate care, being involved in decisions, and having confidence in the clinical staff and quality of care provided. The practice used all comments as an opportunity for learning and improvement.

National GP Patient Survey data reflected people felt listened to and were treated with kindness. The GP National Survey Data for 2026 showed that 95% of people felt that during their last appointment the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at treating them with care and concern. This was above the local and national average of 87%. The survey results showed that 91% of respondents said the practice was good at listening to them during their last general practice appointment. This was above the local average of 87% and national average of 86%. The survey found that, 95% of respondents reported having confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to during their last general practiceappointment. This was higher than both the ICS average of 92% and the national average of 93%.

Staff we spoke with 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. In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of respondents reported that the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at considering their mental wellbeing during their last general practice appointment. This was higher than both the ICS average of 77% and the national average of 75%.

Patients’ personal, cultural, social, religious and equality characteristics needs were understood and met. Patient communication needs were met to enable them to be fully involved in their care. We saw evidence of support tools and advice to aid people’s independence. For example, all staff had received first tier training about autism and learning disabilities and were able to support people who found it difficult to be independent and to access services. The practice had plans in place for staff to complete Tier 2 training; however, limited training availability had delayed implementation.

The practice held recognised accreditations, including being registered as a Safe Surgery (a Safe Surgery is a GP practice with a declared commitment to addressing the barriers people face in accessing healthcare or support, including refugees) and a Veteran Friendly practice. There were 13 patients identified as veterans.

Systems ensured carers were identified at the point of registration, and their wellbeing was routinely reviewed. There were 74 patients identified as carers. Carers were proactively supported through flexible and responsive arrangements, including access to vaccinations such as flu and COVID-19, pre-bookable appointments, and the option to coordinate multiple appointments to reduce the need for repeated visits. Carers were also signposted to relevant support services where appropriate.

The service took account of the young people away from their home environment and attending university, some of whom were international students. They supported students to understand the role of a GP and improve their knowledge of primary care services by working with the university during their ‘Welcome’ or Freshers' Week. This reflected a proactive approach to meeting the needs of diverse populations.

Staff helped patients and their carers to access advocacy and community-based services.

Feedback from the National GP Patient Survey data found:

• 92% of respondents were involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment during their last general practice appointment, which was in line with the local average of 91% and national average of, 92%.
• 90% of the respondents felt the healthcare professional they saw had all the information they needed about them during their last general practice appointment, which was in line with the local and national average of 92%.

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.

The practice had an effective appointment system that ensured patients with immediate or urgent needs were able to access care promptly. Clinical staff triaged all requests. Patients with the most urgent clinical needs (Red) were identified quickly and prioritised for same-day or urgent assessment. Patients requiring a review within 2 to 3 working days (Amber) were allocated appointments within an appropriate timeframe. Routine appointment requests (Green) were managed within appropriate time frames. Access arrangements were monitored through a monthly Access and Operations meeting attended by key operational and clinical staff leads. Reception staff were supported by a duty doctor who was present daily, providing real time clinical oversight. This enabled immediate validation of decisions, timely escalation where required, and a responsive approach to managing patient demand or clinical queries.

Staff we spoke with knew the process for referral to emergency support, including mental health crisis teams. Staff were all trained in recognising the signs of sepsis and a deteriorating patient and staff knew where to access emergency equipment.The results of the GP National Patient Survey showed that 91% of patients felt their needs were met during their last appointment, which was in line with the local and national average of 90%.

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. The service maintained a stress at work policy as well as completing staff indicator risk assessments.

Staff surveys took place annually and findings informed the services workforce, training, appraisal and competency planning. Staff reported being supported if they were struggling at work.

Staff told us they felt valued by leaders. Although staff had on occasion been stretched by vacancies and the additional support required for new starters during induction, they remained committed to supporting their colleagues and maintaining service delivery.

The service provided a Staff Support and Counselling Service (CAT), between Monday to Friday 9-5pm via phone or email. An employee assistance programme via telephone available 24/7, a staff psychological wellbeing hub operating, Monday to Friday 9-5pm via phone and email, and staff urgent support helplines.

Staff could be signposted to various websites for support for example, ‘Beat stress at work,’ struggling with stress,’ ‘how to be happier,’ and health fitness and exercise.

Staff had access to free workshops and training on how to support health and wellbeing and stress management. They had access to an occupational health service, completion of wellness action plans and health passports. Following periods of absence or sickness for example staff could be assessed for flexible working and adjusted duties, and for applicable roles home working.

The service actively promoted equality, diversity and inclusion. This was reflected in staff training and a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination.