Chapel Street Medical Centre

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 that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

This is the first inspection for this service since its registration with CQC. This key question has been rated as Good.

Staff we spoke with demonstrated the values of the practice and dealt with patients with kindness, respect, and compassion. Interactions we observed between staff and patients, showed that staff listened to patients and treated them with kindness.

People who used the service were supported to make decisions about their future care. Information about how to raise a complaint was provided to people. The provider understood their patient population and they identified and made changes to improve their service where required. Leaders proactively sought ways to address any barriers to improving people’s experience and outcomes. The provider worked within the Primary Care Network (PCN) and supported local service developments. The provider made reasonable adjustments to ensure the premises were accessible to patients who required disabled access. At the time of our inspection further improvements were underway, including the planned installation of a ramp to enhance accessibility for all patients.

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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Arrangements were in place to promote patients’ privacy. National GP Patient Survey data reflected people felt listened to and were treated with kindness. 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.

The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

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.

Resources were available such as language line to support patients who didn’t have English as a first language and practice staff spoke a range of languages to support the local community. Staff demonstrated an awareness of the needs of the practice population and provided examples of how they supported patients in practical and inclusive ways. For instance, flashcards were made available at reception to assist Romanian speaking patients in navigating services and communicating effectively.

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff helped patients and their carers to access advocacy and community-based services. The practice had access to a social prescriber through the Primary Care Network (PCN) who provided support and information on local services within the community. The people we spoke with on the day of the onsite assessment told us they felt included in decisions about their care and treatment.

The provider demonstrated a clear commitment to understanding and responding to individuals’ needs, views, and preferences. Staff acted promptly to address immediate concerns and minimise discomfort, distress, or anxiety.

A triage system was in place to ensure timely access for individuals with urgent needs. Staff interviewed were knowledgeable about referral pathways to emergency services.

Feedback from care home representatives was largely positive, highlighting the provider’s timely and compassionate approach to care. Patients were supported in a manner that upheld their comfort, dignity, and respect.

Most care homes reported good working relationships with the practice and expressed appreciation for the continuity of staff, weekly ward rounds and the responsiveness of the service, which contributed to effective and person centred care delivery. However, feedback from some care homes indicated that further improvements were needed communication and responsiveness to patient needs.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

The provider had a small number of staff working at the practice and this contributed to the work environment. The practice staff said they felt valued by the leadership team. We spoke with a range of staff who reported feeling valued by the leadership team and expressed positivity about both their roles and the support they received.

Feedback indicated that since the transition to the new provider, staff felt well supported and empowered to carry out their responsibilities effectively.