Spa Medical Practice

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

We assessed 2 quality statements from this key question. We found staff treated people equally and without discrimination. The practice complied with legal equality and human rights requirements. We found patients had access to appointments with the appropriate clinician when they needed them.

This service scored 93 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

We did not look at Person-centred Care during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Care provision, Integration and continuity during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Providing Information during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Listening to and involving people during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

Patient feedback as a result of the 2024 National GP Patient Survey was positive with regards to access to the practice. 88% of people responded positively to the overall experience of contacting the practice which was better than the national average of 67%. 73% of people responded positively to the ease of contacting the practice on the phone which was also better than the national average of 50%. Patients told us they had timely access to appointments and saw a clinician appropriate to their needs.

Leaders and staff spoke positively about the appointment system. Staff regularly reviewed the telephone and appointment statistics to monitor access performance. They were then able to determine the most suitable times for reception staff to do work off the telephones. The practice recently participated in a simulation activity to check whether patients were booked in to see the most appropriate clinician. Staff told us this gave them an increased confidence in knowing they were signposting and booking appointments appropriately. The practice regularly reviewed patient feedback and identified themes and trends. For example, the practice offered Saturday clinics every 6 weeks, but patient feedback identified they were not aware of this. As a result, they increased patient awareness by promoting it more in the practice and on their website.

Patients could book appointments by telephone, online, and in person by visiting the practice. The practice offered a range of appointments including face to face, telephone, and home visits. These were available on the same day, 48-hour access and routine 2-week appointments. In addition to GP appointments, patients could also book to see other clinicians including a practice nurse, first contact physio, clinical pharmacist, and mental health practitioner. All reception staff had received training in Care Navigation to help ensure all appointments were booked with the most appropriate service.

Feedback provided by patients using the service, both to the practice as well as to CQC, was mostly positive. Staff treated patients equally and without discrimination.

Leaders proactively sought ways to address any barriers to improving people’s experience and worked with local organisations, including within the voluntary sector, to address any local health inequalities. The practice operated personal lists which meant every patient had a named GP. This enabled the GPs to get to know their patients. Staff understood the importance of providing an inclusive approach to care and made adjustments to support equity in people’s experience and outcomes. For example, they were the registered GP practice for a local care home for autistic people and allowed them to attend appointments at times convenient to them.

The provider had processes to ensure people could register at the practice, including those in vulnerable circumstances such as homeless people and Travellers. The practice was an accredited veteran friendly practice which helped them to identify and support their veteran patients.

We did not look at Planning for the future during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.