Archived: Edgbaston Private Medical Practice

Updated 9 May 2016

We carried out a comprehensive inspection of this service under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. The inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service.

Our inspection team consisted of a CQC Lead Inspector and a GP Specialist Advisor.

The inspection team:-

• Carried out an announced inspection at Edgbaston Private Medical Practice on 18 March 2016
• Spoke with staff and patients
• Reviewed patient survey information and completed CQC comment cards
• Reviewed the practices policies and procedures

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following five questions:

• Is it safe?
• Is it effective?
• Is it caring?
• Is it responsive to people’s needs?
• Is it well-led?

These questions therefore formed the framework for the areas we looked at during the inspection.

Updated 9 May 2016

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 18 March 2016 to ask the service the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

We found that this service was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services effective?

We found that this service was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services caring?

We found that this service was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services responsive?

We found that this service was providing responsive care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services well-led?

We found that this service was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Background

Edgbaston Private Medical Practice provides a private medical service to adults and children. Services include a private general medical service, immunisations such as child immunisations and travel vaccinations, health screening and lifestyle management. The practice team consists of a single handed doctor, a practice manager and a team of five support staff with a range of lead roles including regulatory compliance, business development, secretarial and reception roles.

This service is registered with CQC under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in respect of some, but not all, of the services it provides. There are some exemptions from regulation by CQC which relate to particular types of service and these are set out in Schedule 2 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. The practice is part of a limited company called Listers Medical Associates Ltd and non-invasive cosmetic procedures are offered as part of the Edgbaston aesthetics service which is also part of Listers Medical Associated Ltd. The non-invasive cosmetic procedures provided to patients under arrangements made by the Edgbaston aesthetics service are exempt by law from CQC regulation. Therefore, at Edgbaston Private Medical Practice, we were only able to inspect the services which are not arranged for patients under the the Edgbaston aesthetics service.

The single handed doctor is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the service is run.

The practice is open for appointments on weekdays and Saturdays. Appointments can be booked between 9am and 6pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On Thursdays the practice offers appointments between 9am and 7pm, appointments can also be booked for Saturday clinics between 9am and 1pm. Patients can be referred to the practice by their NHS GP, as well as making appointments with the practice directly.

The practice is not required to offer an out of hours service. Patients who need medical assistance out of corporate operating hours are requested to seek assistance from alternative services such as the NHS 111 telephone service or accident and emergency. This is detailed on the practice website.

As part of our inspection we reviewed comment cards where patients and members of the public shared their views and experiences of the service. There were 29 completed CQC comment cards, patients commented that they were were satisfied with the care provided by the practice. Staff were described as caring, friendly and helpful.

Our key findings were:

• The service was providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

• There were systems in place for the overall management of significant events and incidents. Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.

• Records were well governed and overall governance arrangements were robust.

• The practice encouraged and valued feedback from patients, the public and staff. It proactively sought patients’ feedback and engaged patients in the delivery of the service.

• Comment cards and satisfaction surveys highlighted that patients were pleased with the care provided by the doctor and staff were described as friendly, helpful and caring.

• Staff felt supported and were confident in raising concerns and suggesting improvements. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.

• Staff understood the relevant consent and decision-making requirements of legislation and guidance, including the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
• Services were planned and delivered to take into account the needs of different patient groups and to help ensure flexibility, choice and continuity of care.