Background to this inspection
Updated
31 January 2022
Herts & Essex Fertility Centre provides private fertility advice and treatment for people in Hertfordshire and the surrounding geographical area. Founded in 1989, the service is registered with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The HFEA regulate services that provide fertility treatment and research using human embryos and carry out their own inspections to ensure their standards are met. The service is registered with the CQC for the regulated activities of diagnostic screening procedures, surgical procedures and treatment of disease, disorder or injury. CQC only inspect against regulated activities.
The service is located in a single storey building in a residential area. There are adequate car parking facilities which can be accessed through a controlled barrier system.
Facilities include a seated reception area, four consulting rooms, two additional rooms, two ultrasound scanning rooms, operating theatre and recovery area, laboratory, dispensary and administration rooms.
The service is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm and run a clinical staff on-call out-of-hours system to provide patient advice. The service frequently hosts open evening events. Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, these are presently conducted virtually online.
The service is led by two medical directors and a director of clinical services. They employ a range of clinical staff including gynaecologists and obstetricians, clinical embryologists, specialist nurses, health care assistants and a dietician. The service has a team of administration staff who support reception, administration and finance.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
The service was last inspected in 2014 (report published 4 February 2014) and met the standards required. This is the first inspection under our new rating system.
Updated
31 January 2022
The service was last inspected in 2014 and met the standards required. This is the first time we have inspected this location under our new rating system. We rated it as good because:
- The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service-controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
- Staff provided good care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink, and gave them pain relief when they needed it. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information. Key services were available seven days a week.
- Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients and families.
- The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment.
- Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.
However:
- The safeguarding lead had only received safeguarding adult training to level 2. This was not in line with the intercollegiate document adult safeguarding: roles and competencies for health care staff guidance which states this person should be trained to level 3.