Updated 29 October 2024
Date of Assessment: 12 February 2025. The reason for assessment was due to the service being newly registered, and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) had received some concerns about the service. We have undertaken a comprehensive assessment of the service. North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust was established in 1994. The Trust provides services across North Staffordshire and the city of Stoke on Trent to a population of over 464,000 people. The Trust provides a range of inpatient and community mental health services to adults, older people, and children. From the 1 December 2018, the Trust integrated primary care GP practices into its portfolio. The Trust primary care directorate has grown and from January 2022 included Holmcroft Surgery. The Trust took over responsibility for the staff and assets of these practices. The lead GP for Holmcroft Surgery maintains responsibility for the General Medical Services contract. The Trust’s main NHS partner is the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Integrated Care Board.
Holmcroft Surgery delivers a service to 9691 patients under a contract held with NHS England. The practice building is single story with a car park for patients provided at the front of the building. The practice is open from Monday to Friday 8am to 6.30pm but is closed between 1pm and 2pm on a Tuesday for staff training. The National General Practice Profiles states that the patient ethnicity profile is made up of 91.4% White, 4.1% Asian, 2.2% Mixed and 1.5% Black. Information published by Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that deprivation within the practice population group is in the 8th decile (8 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the practice population is relative to others. This assessment considered the demographics of the people using the service, the context the service was working within and how this impacted service delivery. Where relevant, further commentary is provided in the quality statements section of this report.
SAFE: People were protected and kept safe. The facilities and equipment met the needs of people, were clean and well-maintained and any risks mitigated. Medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, however the service needed to ensure this was consistent. Lessons were learnt but these were not always well documented in order to continually identify and embed good practice.
EFFECTIVE: People were involved in assessments of their needs. Staff reviewed assessments taking account of people’s communication, personal and health needs. Care was mainly based on latest evidence and good practice. Staff involved those important to people and made decisions in people’s best interests where they did not have capacity. However, systems to support people to live healthier lives could be strengthened.
CARING: People were treated with kindness and compassion and their privacy and dignity was protected. The service supported staff wellbeing.
RESPONSIVE: The service provided information people could understand. People received fair and equal care and treatment. The service worked to reduce health and care inequalities through training and feedback. However, the service did not always make sure that people could access the care, support, and treatment they needed when they needed it. The service were aware of this and had put plans in place to address this.
WELL-LED: Leaders were visible, knowledgeable, and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally and were free from bullying or harassment. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities.