We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 6 March 2018 to ask the service the following key questions; are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

This was the first CQC inspection since registration in November 2016.

• At the time of inspection the service was not yet providing a service and therefore had not treated patients, so we reviewed the processes in place to provide a service.

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

We found processes in place supported safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services effective?

We found processes in place supported effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services caring?

We found that processes in place supported safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services responsive?

We found processes in place supported responsive care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services well-led?

We found processes in place supported 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 service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Hilton House Medical operates from a private building on Irwell Street, Bury. There is a private car park and ramp entrance into the building. There is a reception area, patient waiting area, washroom facilities which are suitable for people with limited mobility and include baby changing facilities, four consulting rooms and two minor surgery rooms. At the time of this inspection not all of the consulting were fully commissioned although work was ongoing. Additional meeting and storage rooms were also available. One room of the building is shared with another business.

Hilton House Medical is a private GP service. The service Hilton House Medical Ltd also uses trading names: Novus Hair Clinics and Novus Clinics. Under the Novus Hair Clinics & Novus Clinic brands the intention is to provide hair restoration and hair transplants. During the inspection we spoke with the docor who was intending to provide this service.

Ms Patricia Fitzpatrick, is the registered manager in charge of the day to day running of the service. 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.

At the time of this inspection the registered manager was the only member of staff employed by the service.

At the time of this inspection the service had not treated any patients so Care Quality Commission (CQC) comment cards could not be completed.

Our key findings were:

• The service had clear systems to keep people safe and safeguarded from abuse.
• The premises were clean and infection control measures had been established. Personal protective equipment (PPE) was readily available.
• Recruitment policies and procedures were in place.
• An induction programme was being developed for newly employed staff.
• Information about services and how to complain was available.
• Policies and procedures were readily accessible.
• There were systems in place to monitor and improve quality and identify risk.
• There was a clear vision to provide a safe and high quality service.

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

• Ensure evidence of all recruitment checks undertaken are kept on staff files.
• Formally record the visual checks of cleanliness.
• Ensure staff induction is fully implemented prior to any staff being recruited.