Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Nuffield Health Reading Fitness and Wellbeing Centre on 13 December 2017 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 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.
Nuffield Health Reading Fitness and Wellbeing Centre provide health assessments that include a range of screening processes. Following the assessment and screening process patients undergo a consultation with a doctor to discuss the findings of the results and any recommended lifestyle changes or treatment planning.
We received eight completed CQC comment cards. All the completed cards indicated that patients were treated with kindness and respect. Staff were described as friendly, caring and professional. Some patients commented how use of the service had helped them with their individual care needs. In addition, comment cards described the environment as pleasant, clean and tidy.
Our key findings were:
- The service had clear systems to keep people safe and safeguarded from abuse. Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. The doctor and physiologists were only trained to level one for child safeguarding.
- The clinic had clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the location learned from them and improved their processes.
- Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance, with the exception of mental capacity act guidance.
- The service had a programme of ongoing quality improvement activity.
- Feedback from patients about the care and treatment they received was positive.
- Patients were treated with dignity and respect and they were involved in decisions about their care and treatment.
- Patients were provided with information about their health and with advice and guidance to support them to live healthier lives.
- Systems were in place to protect personal information about patients. However, we noted there were no established processes to verify patient identity.
- An induction programme was in place for all staff and staff received specific induction training prior to treating patients.
- Staff were well supported with training and professional development opportunities. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
- The service encouraged and acted on feedback from both patients and staff. Patient survey information we reviewed showed that people who used the service had given positive feedback about their experience.
- The practice had a clear vision to provide a safe and high quality service. And there was a clear leadership and staff structure. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities.
- There were clinical governance systems and processes in place to ensure the quality of service provision. Staff had access to all standard operating procedures and policies.
We identified regulations that were not being met and the provider must:
- Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care
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 system for monitoring actions from patient safety alerts .
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice