Dorset Private Medical Clinic

Updated 2 September 2019

Dorset Private Medical Clinic is a Limited Liability Partnership of cardiac and respiratory consultants, which provides consultations and non-invasive investigations for the diagnosis and treatments of cardiorespiratory disorders and the follow up and monitoring of patients already diagnosed with these conditions.

The following diagnostic tests are provided at the clinic:

• ECG
• Echocardiography
• 24 hour ambulatory ECG monitoring
• 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
• Spirometry
• Pulse oximetry
• Blood tests

The provider is registered to provide the following regulated activities:

• Diagnostic and screening procedures
• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury

Dorset Private Medical Clinic is located at:

The Poundbury Clinic

Middlemarsh Street

Poundbury

Dorchester

Dorset

DT1 3FD

All consultations are by appointment only and the clinic is only open during times when consultations and treatments are taking place.

The staff team at the clinic consists of a practice manager, two cardiologists, a physician, a cardiac physiologist and nurse.

We carried an announced comprehensive inspection at Dorset Private Medical Clinic on 27 June 2019. Our inspection team was led by a CQC Lead inspector.

How we inspected this service

Prior to the inspection, we reviewed a range of information provided from the pre-inspection information request and any notifications we had received from the service.

During our visit:

• We spoke with the registered manager and the practice manager.

• We looked at equipment and rooms used for providing treatment.

• We reviewed records and documents.

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 2 September 2019

This service is rated as Good overall . (Previous inspection 31 July 2018 - independent healthcare services were not rated at that time).

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? – Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dorset Private Medical Clinic on 27 June 2019. This was a routine inspection with the purpose of rating this independent health service for the first time.

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.

The services are provided to adults (18 years and above) privately and are not commissioned by the NHS. Dorset Private Medical Clinic is registered with CQC to provide the regulated activities: diagnostic and screening procedures; and treatment of disease, disorder. The types of services provided are doctors consultation service and doctors treatment service.

At the time of our inspection a registered manager was in place. 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.

We received three completed CQC comment cards from patients who used the service. Feedback was very positive about the service delivered at the clinic. We were unable to speak with patients about their experience of the service they received as no clinics were taking place on the day. On the day of our visit, no one was attending for a consultation appointment regulated by CQC.

Our key findings were:

• Care and treatment was planned and delivered in response to individual needs. .
• The clinic did not have adequate equipment to respond to medical emergencies.
• Clinical rooms were clean, well-organised and had calibrated equipment.
• Clinicians assessed patients in line with current guidance and standards issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
• There was effective leadership and management of the clinic.
• Leaders facilitated ongoing training through the NHS so staff maintained the necessary skills and competence to assess and diagnose patients.
• Safe systems were in place demonstrating equipment had been serviced regularly.
• The provider was aware of, and complied with, the requirements of the Duty of Candour.
• There was an effective system for ensuring the identity of clients who attended the service.
• Risks were well-managed with measures in place to reduce these for patients and staff.
• Infection prevention and control systems reduced the risk and spread of infection.
• Information was accessible for patients and provided them with advice and guidance to promote healthy living, how to make a complaint.
• Quality improvement was evidenced and patients feedback had been acted upon.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care