Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We rated this service as Good overall. (Previous inspection January 2018 – Good)
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 Antrobus Medical Limited on 4 June 2019 as part of our inspection programme.
Antrobus Medical Limited operates an online consultation and prescription service through the website www.webmedpharmacy.co.uk which specialises in treatment of conditions primarily concerning sexual health. A medical questionnaire is completed by each patient and a doctor can seek more information prior to prescribing by using a secure messaging system. Overall, we found Antrobus Medical Limited provided safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led services in accordance with the relevant regulations; we noted one area of outstanding practice and one area where improvement should be made.
At this inspection we found:
• The service had good systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When they did happen, the service learned from them and improved their processes.
• The service routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence-based guidelines.
• Appropriate medical records were maintained.
• Staff involved and treated people with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Patients could access care and treatment from the service within an appropriate timescale for their needs.
• There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.
• Management oversight of staff training, professional registration and annual appraisal was not always maintained.
• Information about services and how to complain was available. We found the systems and processes in place to manage and investigate complaints were effective.
The areas where the provider should make improvements are:
• Continue to review the approach and choice of antibiotic in the treatment of Urinary Tract Infection.
• Provide comprehensive counselling for prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing so that patients can make informed decisions before testing commences.
Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care