High Green Medical Practice

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• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

We assessed all quality statements from this key question. Our rating for this key question is good. People’s care, treatment and support promoted equality, removed barriers or delays and protected their rights. Leaders and staff proactively sought ways to address barriers to improve people’s experience, acted on information about people's experiences and outcomes and allocated resources and opportunities to achieve equity. Staff were aware of the needs of the local population and referred people to a social prescriber, who at the time of our assessment was employed by the practice.

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.

Data from the national GP survey (unverified by CQC) showed 80% of respondents said the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at treating them with care and concern during their last general practice appointment, compared to the local and national average of 85%.

Practice staff we spoke with told us that they treated all patients with dignity, respect and compassion and respected their privacy and confidentiality. They were aware people did not always want to tell administrative staff the reason for their appointment request, and sensitively explained they needed enough information to direct them to the most appropriate clinician.

We observed staff communicating with people at the reception desk, actively listening to them and talking to people with care and kindness. We saw chaperone posters in clinical rooms.

Data from the national GP survey (unverified by CQC) showed 82% of respondents said the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at listening to them during their last general practice appointment, compared to the local average of 86% and national average of 87%.

Leaders told us they were aware they operated in a socially deprived area with a mixed demographic and people who spoke multiple languages. They supported people who were refugees and homeless to access healthcare. People who were new to the country were provided with the opportunity to attend the practice to educate them on the NHS system and to understand how to meet their needs. People who were homeless could use the practice’s address as their abode. We observed the premises had good disabled access and disabled toilets. Hearing loops were in place to aid people who are hard of hearing.

The practice had processes in place for people who find it hard to access services by utilising interpreters and also directing people to relevant services where they may need extra support. For example, patients in the last 12 months of their lives and people at risk of developing a long-term condition. The practice is a registered carers champion practice.

Results from the national GP survey (unverified by CQC) showed 63% of respondents said the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at considering their mental wellbeing during their last general practice appointment, compared to the local average of 71% and national average of 73%.

GPs we spoke with told us they provided 15 minute appointments and longer when necessary to accommodate people who required translation and interpreting services during their appointments. Leaders told us they had taken steps to engage with their community by conducting outreach clinics for flu vaccinations. They recognised the majority of their patients spoke many languages other than English, therefore increased the number of information sent out in different languages to include medication review questionnaires. They told us this had led to improved compliance.

We saw evidence that the practice had a comprehensive library of support and advice to aid patient independence and support. For example, a member of staff was trained as a carers champion. The practice achieved veteran friendly status to care and treatment of people who were in the armed forces. There was a hearing loop installed on the premises. All staff had received training in learning disabilities and autism.

Data from the national GP survey (unverified by CQC) showed 80% felt their needs were met during their last general practice appointment, compared to the local and national average of 90%. One person we spoke with on the day of our onsite assessment told us that they they had managed to book an appointment online for the same day, which had not been possible in the past.

Management and GPs informed us that patients book could their appointment requests via an online clinical program which is continually reviewed by the practice staff. All people who had an immediate need were responded to promptly, with either an appointment or advice being provided from a health care professional or a member of the reception team. Results from an audit of the system conducted in April 2024 showed 38% of people who used this online program were responded to within 1 to 3 hours; 10% were responded to within 12 hours; 44% were responded to within 24 hours and 8% were responded to within 48 hours. GPs we spoke with told us people with learning disabilities received an annual review where they saw a nurse and GP in the same appointment, resulting in 100% attendance for the reviews. They also told us people receiving palliative care had visits from their lead clinician every 4 weeks, and the practice held meetings with the community palliative care team every two months.

We collected feedback from staff using forms which were sent to us via email by individual staff members during our assessment. All staff were positive about how management and lead GPs supported them with their wellbeing at work. They said it was a friendly workplace which made the work feel rewarding.

There was a comprehensive employee handbook detailing policies, procedures and expectations from the staff. The practice provided written guidance and resources to help them perform their role competently and has good communications and updates for staff and staff wellbeing. There was a comprehensive online wellbeing resource for the team which includes links for mental, physical, financial, social community and career wellbeing. The intranet also provided links for NHS talking therapies and psychological therapies which are provided by fully trained and accredited NHS practitioners to help with common mental health problems like stress, anxiety and depressions. These therapies were delivered free for NHS staff.