The Firs 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

Patients feedback about the practice was mostly positive about their experience and staff working at the practice. The leaders had responded to patient feedback to improve patient experience. Patients had information they needed to make decisions about their care and treatment. Leaders told us they had worked to improve staff wellbeing, and this was confirmed from the results of the staff survey.

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 national GP patient survey carried out from January to March 2024 had 90 responses. This found 80% of patients stated the healthcare professional was good at treating the patient with care and concern, and 85% of patients stated the healthcare professional was fairly or very good at listening to them, In addition, 95% stated to some extent or definite they had confidence and trust in the health care professional they saw or spoke to. The practice submitted their own unverified survey in July 2023 which had received 278 responses. This found 84% of patients found the healthcare professional found the health care professional treated them with care and concern was fairly to very good, and 87% of healthcare professionals were very to fairly good at listening to them. CQC did not speak to patients on the days of the assessment.

The leaders explained they had responded to patient feedback to improve patient experience. Staff had completed customer care training and staff phone calls with patients were regularly reviewed and staff were provided with feedback. The leaders explained patients were signposted to social prescribers and information about support groups which was available on the practice website and on posters in the waiting room. Staff told us they provided support and signposting to specialist bereavement services. The leaders explained they had recruited staff who were multilingual and who lived locally, to improve customer experience. Staff told us the practice was an accredited Safe Surgery and veteran friendly accredited.

We observed complaints were handled promptly and confidentially. There were arrangements to ensure confidentiality at the reception desk. A private room was available if patients were distressed or wanted to discuss sensitive issues. There was a hearing loop in reception for people with hearing impairment. The practice had accessibility software on the website which increased size of font and people with a braille computer could access information on the practice website. In addition, for patients whose first language was not English, they could access information in other languages on the practice website.

The national GP patient survey carried out from January to March 2024 had 90 responses. This found 93% of patients stated the healthcare professional they saw had all the information they needed about them during their last GP appointment, and 85% of patients stated the healthcare professional was fairly or very good at listening to them. CQC did not speak to patients on the days of the assessment. The practice submitted their own unverified survey in July 2023 which had received 278 responses, this found 87% of healthcare professionals were very to fairly good at listening to them. We were provided with patient feedback from local Healthwatch they had gathered from social media and the provider website from July 2023 to April 2024, this found 37 positive and 10 negative comments. The positive comments covered the booking system, the quality of the practice, and reception staff. The negative did not include how people were treated as individuals.

The leaders explained they listened and responded to patient feedback, through the national GP patient survey, the friends and family test and their own survey. In addition, they reviewed and responded to complaints reviewing any reoccurring issues. The senior GP partner had implemented a PCN Health Equity Group which worked with the local council to improve health inequalities for individuals in the practice area.

The practice website and information leaflets were available in other languages, the practice website and in other formats. The practice had a system in place to support the relatives of recently bereaved patients that met cultural, social and religious needs.

The national GP patient survey carried out from January to March 2024 had 90 responses. This found 95% of patients stated they were to some extent or definitely involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment. The practice submitted their own unverified survey in July 2023 which had received 278 responses. This found 87% of healthcare professionals were very to fairly good at listening to them.

Leaders told us staff provided patients with the information they needed to make decisions about their care and treatment. The information was available in different languages and written formats. Staff told us they helped patients, and their carers find further information and access community and advocacy services.

Patients had access to British Sign Language and language line. Patient information leaflets and notices were available in the patient waiting area which told patients how to access support groups and organisations. The patient leaflets were available on the practice website and were translatable into other languages. Staff could send automated messages to patients through a computer software system and direct messages were sent by text. Patients could request to be referred to a diabetes engagement programme, a social prescriber, well being coach, Tai chi lessons and yoga classes at the practice.

The national GP patient survey carried out from January to March 2024 had 90 responses. This found 90% of patients knew what the next step would be after contacting the practice and 95% were ware within two days. In addition, 91% stated to some extent or definitely their needs were met. CQC did not speak to patients on the days of the assessment. We were provided with patient feedback from local Healthwatch they had gathered from social media and the provider website from July 2023 to April 2024, found 37 positive and 10 negative comments. The positive comments covered the booking system, the quality of the practice, and reception staff. The practice submitted their own unverified survey in July 2023 which had received 278 responses, this found 74% of patients stated it was very to fairly easy to get through to the practice by telephone.

The leader explained that contact by patients to the practice was responded to within 3 hours. Same day appointments were available for patients who required immediate care. The length of call waiting time and response was monitored to ensure patients needs were promptly responded to. If patients came in to the practice to ask for an appointment, staff told us they would support the patient with their request. The practice was working with the local primary care network to develop proactive anticipatory care multidisciplinary meetings, this would help patients to stay independent and healthy for as long as possible at home.

The leaders told us they had worked to improve staff well being. They explained the practice celebrated staff birthdays and gave practice staff additional annual leave on their birthday. Every Monday the practice provided a fruit basket for staff. Staff could join the health and wellbeing activities held at the practice. In addition, they had a summer party and Christmas party. The leaders told us that staff do not work alone. The practice had carried out a staff survey. We spoke and asked staff to complete a questionnaire said they felt supported to work at the practice.

The practice had carried out an independent staff survey in June 2024, 15 out of 29 staff responded. This found when asked whether this practice values diversity withing the workforce all stated they either agree or strongly agree and all felt supported by their practice team, 93% felt they had the right tools and resources to support their work. 47% agreed, 20% were unsure and 13% did not agree that there were sufficient staff in their team to cope with the workload.