Archived: The Clinic MK

Updated 25 July 2018

We carried out a comprehensive inspection of The Clinic MK on 6 June 2018. Our inspection team was led by a CQC lead inspector, second inspector and included a GP specialist advisor and a practice nurse specialist advisor.

Before inspecting, we reviewed a range of information we hold about the practice and we reviewed the information we asked the provider to send us (provider’s inspection return information).

During our inspection we:

• Spoke with the doctor, the service manager and the receptionist.
• Observed how patients were being cared for in the reception area.
• Reviewed how personal care or treatment were being delivered including the associated record keeping.
• Reviewed 25 Care Quality Commission comment cards where patients and members of the public shared their views and experiences of the service .
• Reviewed a range of policies, procedures and management information held by the clinic.

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 25 July 2018

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 6 June 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 safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services caring?

We found that this service was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services responsive?

We found that this service was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services well-led?

We found that this service was providing safe 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.

The Clinic MK is a private doctor’s service. It is situated close to the entrance of Milton Keynes train station. The service offers consultations, examinations and treatment in general medicine. The Clinic MK provides a ‘drop in service’ as well as receiving referrals from GP’s and local businesses.  The Clinic MK is run by an independent GP, supported by a service manager and a receptionist. Consultations are mainly undertaken by the doctor and other clinicians on an as needed basis dependant on patient demand.

The Clinic MK is open for appointments Monday to Friday from 8.00am till 8pm and on Saturday from 9.00am till 3pm. Patients make appointments with the practice directly in person, by telephone or on line through the clinic’s website.

The Clinic MK is not required to offer an out of hours service. Patients who need medical assistance out of normal operating hours are requested to seek advice from alternative services such as the NHS 111 telephone service or accident and emergency.

As part of our inspection we reviewed comment cards where patients and members of the public shared their views and experiences of the service. There were 25 completed CQC comment cards; patients commented that they were satisfied with the care provided by the practice. Staff were described as friendly, kind, caring and professional.

Our key findings were:

• The clinic was providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
• There were systems in place for the overall management of significant events and incidents. Risks to patients were assessed and managed.
• Systems were in place to monitor complaints.
• Staff treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. All staff had received equality and diversity training.
• There was a process to ensure that care and treatment delivered were in accordance with evidence-based guidelines.
• We found that appraisal was provided on an informal basis, one of the employees had last had their appraisal over two years ago. The clinic informed us that they were going to formalise appraisals.
• Staff demonstrated that they understood their responsibilities and all had received training on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults relevant to their role.
• Comment cards and satisfaction surveys highlighted that patients appreciated the care provided by the doctors and staff were described as kind, caring and professional.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Consider reviewing arrangements for interpretation services.
• Ensure that appraisals are formalised.