A BRADFORD GP surgery has been placed in special measures after inspectors raised a string of concerns.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated Thornbury Medical Practice, in Rushton Avenue, as 'inadequate' overall following a check in September.

The watchdog has now ordered the practice to make improvements ahead of a re-inspection in six months. 

The Telegraph & Argus asked Thornbury Medical Practice if it wanted to comment on the latest inspection and outline what it would do to turn things around, but did not receive a response. 

In a report, the CQC said: "We carried out this inspection to follow up concerns which were reported to us.

"There was no accurate list of patients with a safeguarding need, and evidence of long-term locum clinicians completing training was not always kept.

"The practice did not carry out all the relevant recruitment checks.

"The infection control audit did not identify issues we found during the inspection, and fire safety and health and safety audits were not managed effectively."

According to the report, "significant events" were not all recorded or investigated. 

"They were rarely discussed within the team and the system for learning when things went wrong was not effective," it added.

The report continued: "The most recent verified data for childhood immunisations and cervical screening were below the national targets.

"Staff training had not been monitored and was not carried out in accordance with practice policies."

The report said the National GP Patient Survey showed that patient satisfaction had decreased, and complaints were not used to improve the quality of care.

It went on: "The culture of the practice did not enable staff to raise concerns

"Data breaches had not been reported and statutory notifications not appropriately completed.

"Overall governance procedures were not effective."

Following the inspection, the overall rating for the practice - as well as the areas of safe, effective, responsive and well-led - was 'inadequate'.

It was rated 'requires improvement' for the question of 'are services caring?'

Placing the practice in special measures, the report said: "Services placed in special measures will be inspected again within six months. 

"If insufficient improvements have been made such that there remains a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures to begin the process of preventing the provider from operating the service." 

The practice was previously rated as 'good' overall after a CQC inspection in 2018.