Farrow Medical Centre is taken out of special measures

Farrow Medical Centre, on Otley Road, Undercliffe, was rated 'inadequate' but is now judged to be 'good' following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in July. 

It delivers services to a population of around 8,600 people and is part of Five Lane Ends primary care network, which is made up of three other GP practices.

The announced inspection was carried out to follow up on improvements CQC told leaders to make at a previous inspection.

At this latest inspection in July, CQC found the practice had made significant improvements and it had taken appropriate steps to address the issues previously identified.

As well as the overall rating improving from 'inadequate' to 'good', the ratings for being safe, effective, responsive, and well-led have also improved. Caring was not included in this inspection and remains rated as 'good'.

Sheila Grant, CQC deputy director of operations in the north said: “When we inspected Farrow Medical Centre, it was encouraging to see that significant improvements had been made in response to concerns we raised at our previous inspection, including issues around infection prevention and control, management of medicines and recruitment checks.

“It was good to hear the practice had a strong learning culture, and staff were encouraged to report incidents openly.

"For example, there was an incident where an incorrect vaccine was given to someone, this incident had been reported and investigated, which led to a new process being put in place to stop it from happening again.

“We found the premises were clean and tidy, and regular checks were being carried out to ensure it was being cleaned to a high standard to prevent people contracting infections. Also, fridges to store vaccines and medicines were regularly cleaned, temperatures were monitored, and products were stored appropriately.

“Everyone at Farrow Medical Centre should be really proud of the improvements they’ve made which has resulted in their overall rating improving from inadequate to good and removing it from special measures as a result.

“We’ve shared our findings with the practice so that they can continue to build on the improvements we saw, and we’ll continue to monitor it to make sure these changes are sustained long term.”

Inspectors found: 

• Staff had received training in safeguarding and chaperoning and were able to explain their role in these processes, including how to recognise and escalate any concerns.
• There was an infection prevention and control lead who carried out weekly spot checks of cleanliness and reported any issues to staff and to the external cleaning company.
• Staff supported people to manage their health and wellbeing, and to live healthier lives. This included encouraging people to attend health checks and reviews.
• Rates for childhood immunisations and cervical screening were lower than local and national averages and the practice was taking steps to improve this.
• An effective system was in place to ensure that recruitment checks were carried out in accordance with regulations.

A spokesperson for Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership said: “We are proud to acknowledge the recent CQC assessment that has upgraded Farrow Medical Centre from an 'inadequate’ to a ‘good’ rating.

"This achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of the practice team, who have worked diligently to make improvements and enhance the quality of care provided.

“While we recognise that access to primary care continues to be a challenge for some people due to growing demand, it is important to highlight positive achievements.  Across Bradford District and Craven, general practice teams are delivering more appointments than ever before and consistently working to maintain high standards of care.

“We commend the team at Farrow Medical Centre for their progress and thank all our colleagues in primary care for their commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of their communities.”