We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 20 February 2018 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.

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the practice was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Blossoms Healthcare Upper Bank Street is an independent healthcare provider located in Canary Wharf in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The practice is part of HCA Healthcare UK, a large independent corporate provider of healthcare services in the UK. The practice offered services to adults only.

One of the lead doctors 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 legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We received three completed Care Quality Commission comment cards. Feedback was positive about the service provided and the professionalism and friendliness of the staff.

Our key findings were:

• There was a system in place for acting on significant events.
• Risks were generally well managed though mechanisms for ensuring urgent test results were actioned were insufficient.
• There were arrangements in place to protect children and vulnerable adults from abuse.
• Staff received essential training, and adequate recruitment and monitoring information was held for staff.
• Care and treatment was provided in accordance with current guidelines.
• Patient feedback indicated that staff were respectful and caring and appointments were easily accessible.
• The practice responded to patient complaints in line with their policy.
• There was a clear vision and strategy and staff spoke of an open and supportive culture. There was effective governance in most areas to ensure risks were addressed and patients were kept safe.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:

• Implement systems to ensure urgent referrals are followed up and clinicians are alerted of safeguarding concerns when accessing clinical records.
• Clarify the identity of the infection control lead.

People’s needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual treatment plan. Staff we spoke with said that a registration form was completed by each person who came to use the service and the needs would be discussed further during the consultation.

We spoke with two people visiting the clinic on the day of our visit. One person told us that the service was very good and that they couldn't fault the service. Another said staff were very friendly and professional. They also told us that they would feel free to make a complaint if necessary, but had always found the service of a high standard and had no reason to complain.

The clinic was clean and tidy of the visit and we found that there were suitable arrangements in place to ensure the cleanliness of the clinic. There were also effective systems in place to ensure good infection control.

The provider had a medicines management policy in place which provided clear directions for staff on how medicines should be managed. Staff were spoke with were able to confirm the arrangements as outlined in the policy.

People’s personal records including medical records were accurate and fit for purpose. We reviewed the medical records for eight people using the service. These contained up to date information and showed that full details of what had been discussed with people during consultations and assessments had been recorded and followed up where necessary.

We were not able to speak with anyone who uses the service. However, comments that have been received by Blossoms Healthcare in their annual survey for 2011 show that there is generally a high degree of satisfaction with the standard of assessment and treatment that is offered.