An Oldham GP has asked for its official watchdog rating to be reviewed after a rating downgrade.

This is despite the practice saying it hoped the inspection report showed ‘a more accurate depiction’ of its services and that it would provide ‘the local community with confidence’.

The practice said it acknowledged ratings are rarely changed on appeal.

Werneth Medical Practice received a ‘good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in a report published on Wednesday, August 30 – the second highest overall rating behind ‘outstanding’.

However, when asking whether services were ‘effective’, the practice, located within the Werneth Primary Care Centre on Featherstall Road South, received the lower rating of ‘requires improvement’ – a slight downgrade from before, when the practice had ‘good’ in all key questions.

The five key questions ask whether the practice’s services are safe, effective, caring, responsive to people’s needs, and well-led.

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The slightly lower rating was because uptake for childhood immunisations was below World Health Organization (WHO) targets, and the uptake of cervical screening was just 39.3 per cent – well under the 80 per cent national target.

According to the full report, only 60.9 per cent of children aged five had received two doses of the MMR vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella.

This is well below the WHO target, which is 95 per cent.

Just 45.8 per cent of children aged one had completed a primary course of vaccination against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio, Pertussis, Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib), and Hepatitis B – also well below the 95 per cent target.

The report said these variations in rates of childhood vaccinations and cervical screenings were because of ‘cultural and demographic reasons’, with the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership concurring.

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According to the CQC, the practice has now asked for its rating to be reviewed.

Providers can challenge ratings given out by the CQC when they have legitimate concerns about the evidence used and the way the ratings process has been applied.

The CQC says the only grounds for requesting a review after the report has been published are “that the inspector did not follow the process for making ratings decisions and aggregating them”.

The watchdog adds that providers “cannot request a review solely on the basis that [they] disagree with the judgements made by CQC.”

Reviews are carried out by CQC staff who were not involved in the original inspection. Ratings can go down as well as up as a result of the review.

A Werneth Medical Practice spokesperson said: “We have requested a review of one of the indicators as we feel it didn't reflect the unique demographic challenges we face and the extraordinary work we have to put in to mitigate this. 

“However, we acknowledge it is rare for inspection ratings to be changed on appeal.”

In response to its rating earlier this month, a Werneth Medical Practice spokesperson said: “Following our recent national GP survey results we are hopeful that this recent inspection shows a more accurate depiction of the services that we provide at Werneth Medical Practice.

“A low uptake of cervical smears and childhood vaccinations were highlighted in the report, and we feel that despite our best efforts, there is a lack of understanding of their importance.

“We would like to encourage patients to be proactive in having these preventative measures.

“We hope that this good inspection result provides the local community with confidence, whilst we strive to maintain the highest standards of patient care and safety.”