We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 18 January 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

Background

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.

Kings Private Clinic has four sites across London and Kent. We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at the location in Harrow, Middlesex on 18 January 2018. The service comprises of a reception area and consulting room on the ground floor of 65c Headstone Road. It is close to Harrow-on-the-Hill rail and tube station, and local bus stops. Parking in the local area is

limited and the clinic is wheelchair accessible. A toilet facility is available on the clinic premises.

The clinic is staffed by a receptionist and a doctor. There is also a receptionist who only works on Sundays. If for any reason, a shift is not filled by the doctor, a locum doctor from a bank of doctors is brought in. In addition, staff work closely with other staff based at the head office in Ilford. The service is open on Thursday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 12pm. Slimming and obesity management services are provided for adults over the age of 18 on a walk in basis.

Kings Private Clinic - Harrow has a registered manager in post. 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.

Patients completed CQC comment cards to tell us what they thought about the service. We received 12 completed cards and all were positive. We were told that the service was excellent, and that staff always made time to listen to people, were helpful and flexible.

Our key findings were:

• The clinic appropriately refused treatment to those who were contra-indicated (for example had high blood pressure (BP) readings).
• The feedback from patients was always positive about the care they received, the helpfulness of staff and the cleanliness of the premises.

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

• Only supply unlicensed medicines against valid special clinical needs of an individual patient where there is no suitable licensed medicine available, and provide patients with this information in the medicines information leaflets.
• Review the need to carry out calibration testing at regular intervals on the blood pressure machine.
• Review methods to encourage feedback from patients and show how patient feedback is driving improvements within the service.
• Review how information is shared with other providers in order to keep people safe.