Stourport 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

The practice was extremely well managed. Leaders had clear and effective governance processes, which supported the safe delivery of high-quality care. Staff were clear on their individual responsibilities and knew who was accountable for each aspect of the service. Leaders and staff were passionate, inclusive, and demonstrated high levels of experience, capacity, and capability to deliver excellent treatment and sustainable care. Strategies and plans were fully aligned with the wider health economy and there was a commitment to system wide collaboration and leadership.

This service scored 86 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Leaders and staff had come together from two practices, and this had enabled them to develop a shared direction and culture for the new larger practice. Staff felt the leaders were inclusive, approachable, and listened to their concerns and ideas. Leaders had a clear vision and strategy to provide high quality sustainable care. The practice had a culture which supported this vision. Leaders demonstrated they understood the challenges to quality and sustainability and used effective systems to monitor progress with action plans.

Staff felt supported and guided by their leadership team. They spoke movingly of times when the practice had offered additional support during difficult times such as bereavement. Leaders were available when they were needed and led by example. They were knowledgeable about the issues and priorities in the practice. There was a strong focus on staff wellbeing, and this ensured a culture promoting good practice, good quality, and safe care and treatment. Some staff had completed mental health first aid training. They were available to support staff across the Wyre Forest Partnership, so staff did not need to access support in their own practice. There was clear oversight and leadership from within the practice and the wider Wyre Forest Partnership. Staff had clear roles and responsibilities and were flexible in these roles to meet the needs of patients.

Staff felt able to speak up within the practice and knew they would be listened to. Leaders felt strongly staff should be able to do this whenever they needed to. They made themselves available by not being in offices with closed doors. Leaders said staff wellbeing was a priority for them.

Leaders had a freedom to speak up policy in place. Staff had completed freedom to speak up training. There were freedom to speak up champions within the practice and the wider Wyre Forest Partnership who staff could speak to if they did not want to speak to leaders. The service encouraged a positive culture where they wanted all staff to be able to speak up and know their voice would be heard.

Staff told us they felt supported by the practice leaders and their peers. Staff gave examples of support they had been given by the practice, including opportunities for learning and development. Staff identified training to support with career progression and this was supported by leaders. For example, reception staff had been able to train to become phlebotomists (person who takes blood samples from patients for testing). Staff felt empowered and were confident their concerns and ideas resulted in positive change to shape services and created a more equitable and inclusive organisation. For example, reception staff had identified an issue with recording the returns of clinical samples such as urine tests by patients when they had been requested by GPs. A new system was implemented to improve this.

There were systems, processes and an equality and diversity policy in place to ensure there were clear responsibilities, roles and accountability structures to support the workforce. This included a robust management team to support the large staff team. The systems provided a strong emphasis on the safety and well-being of staff. Staff and leaders had undertaken equality and diversity training.

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. Staff spoke about being included in outcomes and learning from significant events. They liked the fact leaders shared positive learning events and outcomes as much as they did those where there had been an incident. Staff appreciated being given protected time for learning to allow for them to build skills and have a career pathway within the practice.

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. Staff spoke about being included in outcomes and learning from significant events. They liked the fact leaders shared positive learning events and outcomes as much as they did those where there had been an incident. Staff appreciated being given protected time for learning to allow for them to build skills and have a career pathway within the practice.

Patients were positive about being part of a practice where staff understood the local community well. In the national GP patient 85% of the patients who responded described their overall experience of this GP practice as good compared with the national average of 74%.

Leaders and staff talked positively of the events and fundraising they had taken part in both locally and nationally. This included donations to the local foodbank and the local dog rescue charity, holding coffee mornings for Diabetes UK and raising money for the local hospice.

Leaders provided evidence which gave positive feedback from local partners. Minutes of meetings showed these were well attended by other professionals. This joined up working supported safeguarding for children and adults, joined up support for people in care homes and for those at the end of their life.

Leaders had policies and procedures in place, so staff knew who to refer to and when to do this. Reception staff were trained to recognise when to signpost patients to more appropriate services such as the community pharmacy for their treatment.

Leaders and staff participated in several projects which supported quality improvement both within the practice, locally and nationally. These included studies for asthma relief, sleep apnoea, sensory modulated environments for people with learning disabilities and autistic people and a frailty project funded through NHS England and the local integrated care board to pilot ideas for working better with neighbourhood teams. Leaders had implemented an easier to use telephone line which had shorter messages and the facility for patients to cancel an appointment without having to speak to someone. This meant more patients cancelled appointments so these could be reallocated. Leaders used social media so patients who wished to could view all the data about appointment numbers, missed appointments and calls coming into the practice. This was also used for highlighting information about conditions such as diabetes. This meant patients felt better informed and understood more about how the practice operated.

Leaders had a strong commitment to learning and staff development. They were proactive in being involved in projects and developing innovative ideas to benefit their patients.