We carried out an announced follow up inspection on 20 February 2019 to ask the service the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, and well-led?

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

We found that this service was not providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations

Are services effective?

We found that this service was not providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations

Are services well-led?

We found that this service was not 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 service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

CQC inspected the service on 24 October 2018 and asked the provider to make improvements regarding how they provided safe care and treatment and how they demonstrated good governance. We checked these areas as part of this follow up inspection and found this had not been resolved.

Kings Private clinic Maidstone is an independent clinic which provides weight management services. Services offered to patients include prescribed medicines as well as advice on diet and lifestyle.

The clinic manager 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

Our key findings were:

• The provider lacked systems to monitor the quality of the care delivered.
• The provider lacked systems to check that staff delivering the service were of good character
• The provider lacked systems to check that appropriate insurance arrangements were in place.
• Staff treated patients with care and respect.
• The clinic was in a good state of repair, clean and tidy.

We identified regulations that were not being met and the provider must:

• Introduce a system to monitor the quality of the service provided.
• Introduce a system to ensure that the clinic manager has assurance that all clinicians are of good character and have the appropriate indemnity arrangements when working at the clinic.

You can see full details of the regulations not being met at the end of this report.

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

• Review the prescribing of medicines and only supply unlicensed medicines against valid special clinical needs of an individual patient where there is no suitable licensed medicine available.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGPChief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced follow up inspection on 24 October 2018 to ask the service the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, and well-led?

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

We found that this service was not providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations

Are services effective?

We found that this service was not providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations

Are services well-led?

We found that this service was not 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 service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

CQC inspected the service on 28 February 2018 and required the provider to make improvements regarding how they provided safe care and treatment and how they demonstrated good governance. We checked these areas as part of this follow up inspection and found only the availability of records for ordering, receipt and disposal of medicines had been resolved. The other isses remained unresolved.

Kings Private clinic Maidstone is an independent clinic which provides weight management services. Services offered to patients include prescribed medicines as well as advice on diet and lifestyle.

The clinic manager 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.

Our key findings were:

• The provider lacked systems to monitor the quality of the care delivered.
• The provider lacked systems to check that staff delivering the service had appropriate training in place.
• The provider lacked systems to check that appropriate insurance arrangements were in place.
• Staff treated patients with care and respect.
• The clinic was in a good state of repair, clean and tidy.

We identified regulations that were not being met and the provider must:

• Ensure that all written information given to patients about their treatment is accurate.
• Ensure that all appropriate information about patients is available to clinicians.
• Introduce a system to monitor the quality of the service provided.
• Introduce a system to ensure that the clinic manager has assurance that all clinicians have the appropriate training and indemnity arrangements when working at the clinic.

You can see full details of the regulations not being met at the end of this report.

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

• Review the prescribing of medicines and only supply unlicensed medicines against valid special clinical needs of an individual patient where there is no suitable licensed medicine available.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGPChief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 28 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 not providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services effective?

We found that this service was not 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 not 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 service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Kings Private Clinic Maidstone is an independent clinic which provides weight management services. Services offered to patients include prescribed medicines as well as advice on diet and lifestyle.

The clinic manager 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.

When we inspect, we ask people for feedback about the service. We collected feedback using comment cards. A total of 43 patients provided feedback about the service. Most of the feedback we received was positive.

Our key findings were:

• Staff treated patients with care and respect.
• Patients generally felt that their experience was positive.
• The clinic was in a good state of repair, clean and tidy.
• There were a range of policies in place to support the running of the clinic.

We identified regulations that were not being met and the provider must:

• Ensure that all written information given to patients about their treatment is accurate.
• Ensure all appropriate information about patients is easily accessible to clinicians.
• Introduce systems to monitor the quality of the service provided.
• Introduce a system to ensure that the clinic manager has assurance that clinicians have had appropriate employment checks prior to starting work.
• Ensure that the appropriate documentation is kept on site for the ordering, receipt and disposal of controlled drugs.

You can see full details of the regulations not being met at the end of this report.

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.
• Ensure medicines packed down from original containers in preparation for supply to patients are appropriately labelled to reduce the risk of mis-selection.

The service provides a ‘drop in’ clinic that opens on a Wednesday and Friday each week between the hours of 10.00am and 5.00pm. We saw that people called into the clinic and were seen promptly by the manager and then the doctor.

People told us that they were weighed at each visit to the clinic and their blood pressure was taken and recorded. They also said that they found the staff and doctor friendly and helpful. All the patients we spoke with told us they were always told about the risks involved with their treatment and their consent was obtained where this was required.

We saw that information was displayed about pricing and clinic opening times; we confirmed with the manager that this was all current information. People told us that they were given diet sheets and a patient information leaflet. We spoke with people using the service and they told us that they were happy with the service that they received.

People’s individual needs were appropriately assessed and individual treatment plans were available. Suitably trained staff were available to provide care and treatment which met people's needs.

Medicines were appropriately stored and recorded.

Patient records were accurate and fit for purpose. Records were stored and disposed of appropriately.

People's comments included

“I am satisfied with the service provided”.

“I was told about the possible side effects to medication prescribed when I first came to the clinic”.

We were told that the service was a ‘drop in’ clinic that was open on Wednesday only each week between the hours of 10.00am and 5.00pm. We saw that people called into the clinic and were seen promptly by the manager and then the doctor.

People told us that they were weighed at each visit to the clinic and their blood pressure was taken and recorded. They also said that they found the staff and doctor friendly and helpful.

People's comments included

“I am happy and satisfied with the service provided”.

“I was told about the possible side effects to medication prescribed when I first came to the clinic”.