Crewkerne Health Centre

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• 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 1 quality statement, Equity in Access, from this key question. We have combined the score for this area with scores based on the rating from the last inspection, which was good. Our rating for this key question remains good. People can access care, treatment and support when needed and in a way that works for them. The practice identified and allocated resources as required to improve inequalities and support equity of access.

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.

The practice uses people’s feedback and other evidence to actively seek to improve access for people. The practice reviewed patient experiences obtained through a variety of sources, such as the GP patient survey, an online consultation system Anima, Friends and Family survey, PPG meetings, community outreach events, NHS choices, and complaints and incidents. Common themes include long telephone waiting times, difficulty booking appointments, and difficulty using Anima. The practice reviewed the feedback and has taken action to improve by extending the operating hours of Anima to relieve the burden on the call system and provide more flexibility for patients to submit medical and administrative requests. The practice also worked to increase reception staffing levels. The practice determined reception staffing level based on data on the patient’s demand for their phone and Anima system. There is a plan for a centralised contact hub to handle all incoming calls in Autumn 2024. The practice organised community outreach events to assist their community with registering and using Anima, developed user guides and refined the questions on Anima.

The practice understood the needs of its local population and developed services in response to those needs. To raise awareness of discrimination and inequality that could disadvantage different groups of people in accessing care, practice staff receive mandatory training in equality and diversity, disability and autism awareness. Patients can contact the practice by phone or an online system Anima. All clinical requests are first triaged by Anima (an AI-assisted triage system) and overseen by duty doctors to ensure a timely and appropriate response. Urgent appointments are offered daily. Routine appointments are offered within 5-10 days of receiving the requests. The practice has a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, care coordinators, health coaches and social prescribers, to provide comprehensive care tailored to patients’ needs. The dedicated primary care network (PCN) Care Home team is responsible for weekly ward rounds and multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meetings for care home residents. Translation services are available for both face-to-face and telephone consultations. Appointments for patients with learning disabilities and mental health conditions are scheduled at quieter times at their quieter branch surgery West One Surgery to reduce anxiety and provide a more comfortable environment. Home visits are available for housebound/ care home patients or patients with learning disabilities or chronic diseases who are unable to attend the practice.

Extended hours are available on Monday until 8pm. Patients can indicate their availability and preferred consultation mode in their medical requests on Anima (online and via phone). Patient appointments were available face-to-face, telephone consultation, written consultations (online and email), or home visits. The practice regularly reviewed the appointment mix based on the population's demands, patient preferences, and staff feedback. The practice also provided a walk-in minor injuries services. The practice monitored the “Did Not Attend (DNA)” rate, which had increased since the rollout of Anima in April 2024. The practice identified that it was due to patients receiving appointment notifications from Anima but not always being able to attend or facing delays in accessing the email notifications. The practice responded by implementing a new procedure of calling patients to confirm they could attend. The DNA rate dropped from 9.1% in April 2024 to 5.1% in June 2024. The practice had improved call waiting times by filling reception vacancies short-term with bank staff, redeployment of staff from other areas of the practice and new recruitment to handle the call volume. The emergency department (ED) attendance data showed an increased proportion of in-hours walk-in attendance that did not require admission since April 2024. The practice’s personalised care team reviewed all ED attendances and any follow-up actions 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.