• Doctor
  • GP practice

Dr RC Rautray's Practice

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

Primrose Bank Medical Centre, Larkhill, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5ER (01254) 672132

Provided and run by:
Dr RC Rautray's Practice

Important:

We served 2 warning notices on Dr RC Rautray's Practice on  31 July 2026 for failing to meet the regulations related to good governance and premises and equipment at Dr RC Rautray's Practice.

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of Assessment: 28/07/2026. Dr RC Rautray’s Practice (more commonly known as Primrose Bank and Ewood Medical Centre) is a GP practice that delivers services to approximately 9215 people under a contract held with NHS England. There is a main site (Primrose Bank Medical Centre) and a branch surgery (Ewood Medical Centre). According to the latest available data, the ethnic make-up of the service area is approximately 49% White, 47% Asian, 1.5% Mixed, 1% Black and 1.5% Other. Information published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows deprivation within the service population group is in the 2nd decile (2 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the service population is relative to others.

This was a focused assessment. We undertook this assessment due to the length of time since our last assessment. We assessed 10 quality statements from across all 5 key questions. 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 - Staff did not keep facilities well-maintained or equipment safe. They did not assess and manage the risk of infection well or take appropriate steps to control the risk of it spreading. Evidence was not kept to assure the practice staff had the required training, and appropriate recruitment checks were not kept.

EFFECTIVE - Staff supported people to live healthier lives, but care was not always monitored to ensure positive and consistent outcomes.

CARING – The service received below average scores in the national GP patient survey for questions relating to kindness, empathy and compassion. Some patient records were not kept securely.

RESPONSIVE – Although we saw appointments were available, the service received below average scores in the national GP patient survey for questions relating to access. Leaders and staff were alert to discrimination and inequality that could disadvantage groups of people who used the service and sought ways to address any barriers, although relevant training had not always been carried out.

WELL-LED - The service did not have a clear vision and strategy. Staff did not always understand their individual roles and responsibilities. Clear and effective governance processes were not in place.

We found breaches of regulation in relation to premises and equipment and good governance. We are using our enforcement powers to provide a timeframe within which the provider must improve the quality of the care they provide.

4 January 2017

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

This is a focused desk top review of evidence supplied by Dr RC Rautray’s Practice, for two areas within the key question safe. The desk top review was conducted on 4 January 2017.

The practice was initially inspected on 30 August 2016. The inspection was a comprehensive inspection under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (HSCA). At that inspection, the practice was rated ‘good’ overall. However, we found that:

  • A legionella risk assessment had not been carried out for the main surgery or branch surgery buildings.

  • Emergency medicines were not sufficient to meet patient needs in the event of an emergency situation such as suspected adult meningitis.

  • There was no evidence to demonstrate that the equipment for use in the event of an emergency such as the automatic electronic defibrillator (AED) was checked on a regular basis.

  • There were no processes in place to ensure the safe management of medicines specifically in relation to patient medication alerts received by the practice. The issue of prescription pads to GPs for home visits was not appropriately monitored.

  • The process for recruiting locum GPs was not thorough enough to ensure that persons providing care or treatment had the qualifications, competence, skills and experience to do so safely.

The practice supplied an action plan and a range of documents which demonstrated they are now meeting the requirements of Regulation 12 Safe care and treatment of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Following this desktop review, we found the practice to be good in providing safe services. Overall, the practice is rated as good.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

30 August 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr RC Rautray’s Practice on 30 August 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

  • There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
  • Although risks to patients who used services were assessed, the systems and processes to address these risks were not always implemented well enough to ensure patients were kept safe.
  • The practice had good policies for the recruitment of staff, however, practice staff files were not standardised and did not contain the relevant documents according to practice policy.
  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • Some information coming into the practice regarding patient non-attendance at outside appointments was not routinely seen by GPs.
  • Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
  • Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
  • The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
  • The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the provider must make improvement are:

  • Complete a risk assessment for the presence of legionella at both the main surgery and branch surgery buildings.
  • Ensure that emergency medicines are sufficient to meet patient needs in the event of an emergency situation.
  • Ensure the safe management of medicines by putting processes in place to ensure that the practice responds to patient medication alerts received by the practice. Also ensure that the issue of prescriptions to GPs for home visits from prescription pads is limited and monitored.
  • Ensure that persons providing care or treatment have the qualifications, competence, skills and experience to do so safely, particularly in relation to the employment of locum GPs.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

  • Review all staff files to allow for information to be retained in a way that reflects practice policy.
  • Arrange for relevant post relating to patients not attending appointments outside the practice to be seen by the GPs.
  • Implement accurate and regular checks of the practice defibrillator.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice