Mamedica

Updated 14 July 2023

Mamedica is a private clinic with a linked dispensary which specialises in cannabis-based prescriptions (CBPMs), for patients who have not found satisfactory results for their conditions with their previous medication. The medicines are prescribed by experienced medical staff working within the latest Governmental guidelines. The service is located at 2 Lower Sloane Street, London SW1W 8BJ. The building entrance lobby is accessed via steps from the pavement. Wheelchair access is via a ramp at the front of the building. The service has access to consultation rooms and a waiting area for patients. However, most consultations take place online.

The usual opening hours are 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday. Patients can also book appointments for evenings and weekends. The medical team comprises of consultants who specialise in Psychiatry, Pain and Neurology. There are also a GP and Prescribing Pharmacist.

The service treats a range of conditions including pain, psychiatric conditions, neurological conditions, palliative care and Cancer.

How we inspected this service

We reviewed information sent to us by the provider remotely prior to attending the site to reduce the time spent on site. We spoke with the CEO, clinical director, the Practice and Business Manager, consultants and administrative staff. We looked at records related to patient assessments and the provision of care and treatment. We also reviewed documentation related to the management of the service. We reviewed patient feedback provided to a third party.

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 14 July 2023

This service is rated as Good overall. This is the providers first inspection.

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Requires improvement

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection of Mamedica 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.

Mamedica is a private clinic that provides medical treatment for patients focused around the use of Cannabis-based products for medicinal (CBPMs) use, which are prescribed by experienced medical staff working within the latest Governmental guidelines

The Practice and Business 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 had systems in place to protect people from avoidable harm and abuse.
• There was a clear vision to provide a safe, personalised, high quality service.
• All staff we spoke to felt valued by the leaders and said there was a high level of staff support and engagement.
• Patients could access care and treatment from the service within an appropriate timescale for their needs.
• The service had a business development strategy that monitored the service provided to assure safety and patient satisfaction.
• There were systems to support improvement and innovation work.
• The systems of accountability to support good governance and management were not always in place or effective.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

Chief Inspector of Health Care