168 Medical Group

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

The practice had effective governance and risk management systems. Staff reported leaders were visible, approachable, and listened to feedback. Named leads had responsibilities in key areas and staff had a good understanding of local population issues, challenges, and priorities.

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 Shared direction and culture during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

We did not look at Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

We did not look at Freedom to speak up during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

We did not look at Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

Staff worked together to address gaps in other local services to reduce the impact on patients. The senior leadership team recognised the pressure on staff and the impact this could have on patient care. They developed systems and protocols in collaboration with the wider team to balance staff wellbeing with patient needs. For example, administration staff completed training in non-clinical processes to free up GP time and on-call services began at 5pm daily.Each salaried GP and non-clinical member of staff had a clear line management arrangement. Following the end of pandemic restrictions the practice recognised the need to provide opportunities for staff to meet and problem-solve together. This process included formal and informal meeting opportunities and continued on an ongoing basis following positive outcomes. Most staff said they felt respected and listened to by the senior team. Some staff felt the leadership team could improve how they took feedback on board, particularly around safety and security. The patient participation group lead said the group were valued and appreciated by the senior team. The senior team maintained a risk register to monitor emerging challenges and track existing risk management strategies. At the time of our assessment a key risk was the closure of other regional practices, which resulted in an average of 100 – 150 new patients registering with this practice per month. The practice had successfully recruited 4 new GPs through an innovate recruitment partnership which enabled them to cope with this increase in patient numbers. The senior team were restructuring the remote GP service to improve response times and improve capacity.

The practice delivered care using internal governance systems and was part of a primary care network super partnership. The senior leadership team implemented a new governance structure in April 2024 that reduced administrative burden on clinical staff and addressed long-term staffing pressures. The practice worked with the integrated care board (ICB) to establish governance processes and standards for new services. For example, in the absence of a national framework for sexual health services in primary care, the specialist nurse and senior team worked within the ICB’s HIV strategy to ensure patients at risk of infection were cared for promptly and appropriately. Sustainability was a key focus of the practice and staff continually sought new opportunities or pilot projects to drive this. For example, the practice was a national vanguard for a new paediatric hub model. Vanguards are NHS England-funded, new models of health and care aimed to support innovation. This involved a paediatric consultant attending the practice monthly to build capacity and knowledge. The hub resulted in new working relationships between primary care and secondary care that led to improved patient outcomes. This included improved multidisciplinary care for young people experiencing chronic fatigue and those whose parents attributed regular symptoms of growing up to a medical problem that did not exist. The practice took part in research projects . The practice was 1 of 6 sites in the country participating in a trial of an artificial intelligence system to predict patient deterioration by analysing their health records and test results and prioritising prevention over cure. The practice had control and safety measures for the sample group of patients to ensure learning took place in a controlled environment. The practice’s vision of continuous improvement was reflected in the auditing and research priorities of the team and staff recognised the values of respect and teamwork.

We did not look at Partnerships and communities during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

We did not look at Learning, improvement and innovation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.