Updated 12 February 2024
The Elm Tree Medical Centre is an NHS GP practice which provides primary care services to patients in an area of Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland. We carried out an announced assessment of one quality statement, equity of access, under the key question Responsive at Elm Tree Medical Centre on the 5 March 2024. We carried out the assessment as part of our work to understand how practices are working to try to meet peoples demands for access and to better understand the experiences of people who use services and providers. We recognise the work that GP practices have been engaged in to continue to provide safe, quality care to the people they serve. We know staff are carrying this out whilst the demand for general practice remains exceptionally high, with more appointments being provided than ever. However, in this challenging context, access to general practice remains a concern for people. Our strategy makes a commitment to deliver regulation driven by people’s needs and experiences of care. The assessment of the quality statement equity of access includes looking at what practices are doing innovatively to improve patient access to primary care and sharing this information to drive improvement. Overall, the practice is rated as good and the key question responsive continues to be rated as providing a good service. We found that the practice organised services to meet patients’ needs, particularly those who were most likely to have difficulty accessing care. People can access care, treatment, and support when they need it, in a timely manner, and in a way that works for them. The practice seeks out and uses feedback, data, and other information to monitor and improve access. Feedback and data demonstrated peoples experience for access at this practice was very positive.