Updated 5 November 2019
The registered provider, Medefer Limited, was established in 2013. Medefer Limited provides independent consulting doctors and remote clinical advice services from its head office location, Medefer, at 89-93, Fonthill Road. London. N4 3JH. The provider website address is .
Medefer’s head office is in London, but does not see or treat patients in person at its premises. All consultations and management plans are provided remotely by Medefer’s clinicians via Medefer’s secure online portal, telephone, Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VOIP), and online video.
The clinical team comprises specialist consultants, specialist registrars (working under supervision of specialist consultants) who can securely access patient records at a time convenient to both patient and doctor. All clinicians are granted practising privileges.
The service is registered with the CQC for the following regulated activities: Transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely and Treatment of disease, disorder or injury.
Medefer provides clinical services to Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and NHS Trusts where the NHS referral targets will or are being breached. Service contracts are in place with these CCGs and NHS Trusts.
Patients are referred to Medefer by their NHS GP. A Medefer consultant initially reviews the patient referral information. Then a registrar holds a telephone consultation with the patient to obtain a more detailed clinical history. The consultant then further reviews the patient’s clinical information and agree a further management plan based on any additional information that may have arisen from the clinical history. Medefer then organises investigations at appropriate diagnostic units for the patient. The investiagtions results are reviewed by the Medefer consultant and further management arrangeemtns made. Any further patient reviews and follow-ups will be arranged and undertaken by the Medefer clinicians as required. Through the patient journey the registrar is the clinician who has direct contact (via telephone) with the patient concerned.
Medefer does not provide services to private patients contacting them directly.
How we inspected this service
Before the inspection we gathered and reviewed information from the provider. During this inspection we spoke to the Registered Manager and members of the management and administration team.
To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we 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.