GP surgery for vulnerable people rated outstanding

A GP practice that specialises in helping vulnerable people across West and North Yorkshire has been rated "outstanding" by a health watchdog.

York Street Health Practice in Leeds supports people experiencing homelessness, refugees, sex workers and those from Gypsy, Roma and traveller communities.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) upgraded the practice from "good" to "outstanding" after an inspection in December.

The CQC inspectors said staff at the facility, run by the Bradford-based Bevan Community Benefit Society, were "kind, discreet and compassionate".

Inspectors said people felt involved in their care plans and confident staff understood their individual and cultural needs.

They highlighted the work of the "Bevan Bus", a vehicle staffed by paramedics and nurses supporting people experiencing homelessness around Leeds.

Linda Hirst, the CQC's deputy director of operations in the north east, said: "We found a service that was led by exceptional leaders and a dedicated staff team.

"They put people who often struggle to get appropriate support at the heart of everything they do to deliver the best possible care."

She added: "York Street is easy to access, with kind, discreet and compassionate staff who work hard to eliminate discrimination to provide fair and equal treatment."

Emma Perry, Bevan Community Benefit Society chief executive, said: "We are thrilled and incredibly proud of the team - it is a real testament to the hard work and dedication they show every single day.

"We will literally go to where people are, so that might be a shop doorway, it might be a tent, it could be temporary accommodation, it's all about enabling access."

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