Northfield Surgery

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

At this assessment we have rated the practice as requires improvement for providing a caring service. Data from the National GP Patient Survey showed that patient experience was below local and national averages. Feedback received by CQC through give feedback on care submissions showed that patients were not always happy with the way their queries or requests were handled. The practice was constantly engaging with patients and requesting feedback so that services could be improved. We observed staff to be friendly and helpful with patients at the reception desk and on the telephone. Staff had received training in equality and diversity and information governance. The practice had trained chaperones available when required. We observed the environment to be suitable, as there were privacy curtains in all clinical rooms. The practice had a patient experience manager, they were responsible for dealing with complaints and feedback. This information was all collated and used to look for themes and trends and identifying areas that could be improved.

This service scored 45 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Give feedback on care submissions indicated that patients were not always happy with how staff handled their requests or queries. This was different to what internal surveys completed by the provider indicated. The practice sent around 300 text messages per month after appointments to gather feedback. Patients were asked "how did you find your greeting by reception staff?" 75% of patients replied either good or very good. However, this was not reflected in the results of the National GP Patient Survey, 42.8% of patients responded positively to the overall experience of their GP practice, compared to 68.9% locally and 71.3% nationally.

Staff told us they had received equality and diversity training. The practice had trained chaperones available for when they were required.

We observed staff to be friendly and helpful with patients at the reception desk and on the telephone. We observed the environment to be suitable, as there were privacy curtains in all clinical rooms. The practice had developed the patient experience manager who was responsible for dealing with complaints and feedback.

We received feedback from a patient with learning difficulties which showed they faced barriers to care because of their specific needs.

Staff told us they had developed a community action plan which was used to improve relationships with hard-to-reach communities. The practice had identified a cohort of patients that were part of the Traveller community. They had a specific point of contact who was a leader in the community to promote the benefits of cancer screening and childhood immunisations.

Staff received equality and diversity training as part of their mandatory training. The practice had identified hard to reach communities, this included non-English speaking patients, patients from the Traveller community and veterans. There was a specific action plan that the practice was developing to assist patients from these communities to access healthcare. The practice had recently appointed a patient experience manager who oversaw this piece of work. However, results from the National GP Patient Survey in regards to the overall experience of the GP practice was lower than local and national averages.

We did not receive feedback from patients in regard to choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff told us that patients were able to contact and make appointments in a way that suited them. This included online, telephone and attending the practice in person. Staff told us that patients were given information on managing their own care, this included signposting patients to other agencies such as Well Doncaster, Mind and Age UK. However, the latest available results from the National GP Patient Survey showed a negative variation compared to local and national results for patients being involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment.

Patients were able to contact and make appointments in a way that suited them. This included online, telephone and attending the practice in person. However, the latest available results from the National GP Patient Survey showed that the practice achieved lower than local and national averages for patients who responded positively to the overall experience of making an appointment. Results were also lower compared to local and national results for patients being involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment. These results were lower compared to internal feedback gathered by the provider, 71% of patients rated their overall experience of the practice as very good, good or satisfactory.

We received feedback from a patient with learning difficulties which showed they faced barriers to care because of their specific needs.

Staff told us they had identified that carers where not being coded correctly on their clinical system. This was now rectified, and the practice had also updated their processes. As a result they had developed questionnaires for carers to identify their individual needs. Staff also told us they had links with support groups available to refer patients to, this included Autism Plus, Changing Lives and Knit and Natter.

Leaders told us that they fostered an open door policy for staff to approach them and raise concerns. The majority of staff told us that they felt supported and that leaders prioritised their wellbeing. Leaders told us that they had a staff wellbeing noticeboard, and that good and exceptional performance was noticed and recognised.

The provider had completed a staff survey and identified areas to improve staff wellbeing as a result. This included having a breakfast club for staff to use. The practice had QR codes on noticeboards that staff could use to raise comments or concerns anonymously. The practice also had a zero tolerance of abuse to staff.