A CARE trust has been praised after making “significant improvements”.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust’s acute wards for adults of working age and psychiatric intensive care unit, at Lynfield Mount Hospital and the Airedale Centre for Mental Health, between March 10 and 12.

The visit was to check on progress following a previous inspection.

A spokesperson for the health watchdog said: “CQC previously visited the service in February 2019 as part of a trust-wide inspection as a result of which it was rated Inadequate overall.

“The Commission returned in September 2019 and, while a number of improvements were found, concerns with environmental checks, ligature risk assessments and management, and the management of controlled drugs remained.

“During their latest visit, inspectors found the Trust had made significant improvements with regard to safety.

“The unit was staffed well and complimented by a full range of specialists ensuring patients’ diverse needs could be met.

“The Trust had introduced new systems to ensure risks were identified, mitigated and regularly reviewed.

“The use of restrictive practices were minimised, and medicines were being managed safely. Leaders were visible in the service and worked effectively so it ran smoothly.

“As a result, the service is rated as Good overall and for whether it is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. The Trust’s overall rating is unaffected and remains rated Requires Improvement overall.

The spokesperson added: “All the staff at the service in Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust’s acute wards for adults of working age and psychiatric intensive care units should be very proud of the improvements they have made to achieve a Good rating.

“CQC’s immediate focus will be on supporting the trust to continue to provide safe care to people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We will continue to monitor the trust’s progress and return to inspect again at a later date.”

. Brent Kilmurray, Chief Executive of Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The report rightly recognises the work and commitment of staff on the wards, to deliver such improvements in just under a year.

“The rating is testimony to the efforts of all the staff involved and our Care Trust Way approach to driving continuous quality improvement across all services.

“The inspectors noted many positives, notably that staff treat patients with compassion and kindness, whilst understanding their needs and ensuring that patients and their loved ones, are central to any decisions about their care.

“I’d like to thank all the staff involved that have worked together to achieve this.

“It’s been a big team effort and this continuous improvement work will continue, including addressing the outstanding areas identified in the report.

“Of the Trust’s 14 core services, this service is now one of nine that are rated good or outstanding.”