The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has found the quality of care provided by picton @ whetley medical centre, in Bradford, West Yorkshire to be Good following an inspection in February.
During an inspection in April 2016, the service (previously called Dr Subrata Basu Practice) was rated as Inadequate and put into special measures. Since then, a new provider, Picton Medical Centre, has taken over and implemented the changes that the CQC asked to be made. These changes have drastically improved patient care and see the practice’s rating change from Inadequate to Good.
Alison Holbourn, CQC’s Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice said:
“At an inspection in April last year, we did not believe that the Dr Subrata Basu Practice was likely to resolve its challenges without being placed into special measures."
“The practice was previously rated as inadequate for all of the five questions that we ask of services, and the care being provided was ineffective and unsafe."
“Since this inspection, the practice was taken over by Picton Medical Centre and is now called picton @ whetley medical centre. We have seen significant improvements in the level of care being provided under the new provider."
“We now see a practice that has proper systems in place to keep people safe, and one that is continuously striving to improve outcomes for patients."
“The practice is now being welI-led and I am confident that the new provider will be able to sustain these changes.”
Inspectors found that the practice had made significant progress in addressing concerns that had been identified in April 2016.
Key findings at this inspection included:
- The practice had sought to continuously improve the quality of healthcare offered to patients since being awarded the contract to provide services from this location. For example, they had identified a significant number of previously undiagnosed long term conditions.
- They had improved patient access by providing online services and making appointments available for those patients who needed them.
- Additional staff had been recruited and trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
- Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment. They commented positively on the changes to the practice since the new provider had taken over and on the excellent care and support they had received from the new GPs and the practice team.
- At the previous inspection, CQC saw that clinical decisions were taken at the practice by unqualified staff, which allowed patients to continue to request and receive medication without the review of a clinician. The new provider reviewed a total of 1,065 patients who received regular, repeat prescriptions within one month of taking over. This had led to urgent referrals being made to secondary care and a total of 3,578 inappropriately prescribed items being stopped.
- The practice manager had completed a training programme to issue food bank vouchers to vulnerable individuals and could offer this service to vulnerable patients. Inspectors were told that several members of the team also distributed food, sleeping bags and clothing opportunistically to local homeless people on a weekend and encouraged them to register with a GP.
A copy of the CQC’s report on picton @ whetley medical centre can be found on our website
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For further information please contact CQC Regional Engagement Officer Kerri James by email kerri.james@cqc.org.uk or by phone on 07464 92 9966.
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The practice is now being welI-led and I am confident that the new provider will be able to sustain these changes.
Alison Holbourn, CQC’s Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice