Partington Family 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 carried out an announced assessment of one quality statement, equity of access, under the key question Responsive and found: The provider had organised services to meet people’s needs and used their feedback and other evidence to seek and improve access for their patient population. Services were designed to make them accessible and timely for people including those most likely to have difficulty accessing the service. The practice prioritised, allocated resources and developed opportunities as needed to tackle inequalities and to achieve equity of access. The practice routinely monitored demand and capacity regarding access arrangements and had established systems to enable the ongoing analysis of appointments and to seek feedback from people to learn more about their experiences when accessing the service. The practice was also due to introduce a digital telephony system in the near future which will enable the practice to monitor call data and response times. The responsive key question remains rated as good.

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.

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.

In the 2023 National GP Patient Survey, the practice’s data demonstrated that patient satisfaction with the overall experience of making an appointment, GP practice appointment times, how easy it was to get through to the practice by phone and satisfaction with the appointments offered was positive. The data for these indicators highlighted that the performance achieved by the practice was higher than both the national and local averages. Prior to our assessment, we invited the practice to contact a sample of patients on our behalf so that people could give feedback on their experience regarding access. We received feedback from 25 patients of which 16 directly related to access. All 16 responses were positive. The practice encouraged patients/ patient representatives to provide feedback on their experience. For example, via the NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) and their patient participation group. Results for the FFT data was reviewed for the period January 2024 to March 2024. During this period, the results for the practice indicated that people were overall positive about their experience. For example, in February 2024, 178 people responded to the survey of which 172 people reported that their experience was very good or good.

Practice leaders demonstrated that they were mindful of the challenges to patient access and that they understood the diverse needs of their local population. Feedback from leaders confirmed people in vulnerable circumstances were able to register with the practice, including those with no fixed abode such as homeless people and travellers. The practice had also signed up to the on-line Register with a GP Surgery Service. Staff were mindful of the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) and made adjustments when necessary to respond to the communication and support needs of people. The practice also provided opportunities to identify and support different patient cohorts to overcome health inequalities and to communicate and engage with staff. For example, the practice had been involved in the development of a community volunteer hub and was also aligned to a local residential care home for older people. Two of the GPs shared responsibility for undertaking visits on a weekly basis to ensure oversight of the complex health needs of residents and to provide continuity of care. Staff had completed equality and diversity training and training in learning disability and autism. The practice worked with other local stakeholders to improve access to primary care. For example, the PPG, their local PCN and the ICB.

The practice website provided key information for patients regarding how to book an appointment. Patient appointments were available via phone, face to face at the surgery, video call or as a home visit when appropriate. Appointments could be requested by phone, in person, text or email. Information regarding extended access appointments and how to access out of hours support was also displayed on the practice website. Same day and pre-bookable appointments were available subject to individual needs. The practice offered appointments with a variety of staff. For example, doctors, a practice nurse, pharmacist, dietician and a mental health practitioner. Reception staff had access to protocols and guidance and were trained to support appropriate triage. Staff competency was monitored by the reception supervisor and practice manager. The practice routinely monitored demand and capacity regarding their appointment system, including the availability of appointments and staffing resources required.

We did not look at Equity in experiences and outcomes during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

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.