Doctor Now Limited T/A (trading as) Doctor Now and The Beaconsfield Clinic

This service is rated as Good overall.

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 Doctor Now Limited T/A (trading as) Doctor Now and The Beaconsfield Clinic as part of our inspection programme.

Doctor Now Limited T/A (trading as) Doctor Now and The Beaconsfield Clinic registered with CQC on 27 April 2020 under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in respect of some, but not all, of the services it provides. There are some general exemptions from regulation by CQC which relate to particular types of service, and these are set out in Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Some services at Doctor Now Limited T/A (trading as) Doctor Now and The Beaconsfield Clinic are provided to patients under agreements with their employer or an insurance provider with whom the patient holds an insurance policy (other than a standard health insurance policy. These types of arrangements are exempt by law from CQC regulation and therefore, we were only able to inspect the services that fall within our scope. The majority of the services provided by Doctor Now Limited T/A (trading as) Doctor Now and The Beaconsfield Clinic are regulated by CQC.

Doctor Now Limited T/A (trading as) Doctor Now and The Beaconsfield Clinic provides independent, non-NHS GP services to fee-paying patients at their clinic or at the patient’s home. Appointments are also offered via video consultations.

The registered manager for the service is Dr Brian McGirr who is 1 of the service’s medical directors. 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.

Our key findings were:

• Care and treatment was provided in a safe way.
• The service reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care provided and there was evidence of quality improvement activity.
• The service had systems and processes in place to ensure that patients were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in decisions about their care and treatment.
• Patients were able to access care and treatment within an appropriate timescale for their needs.
• The service had 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 had systems in place to collect, analyse and action feedback from patients and staff.
• Staff had the relevant skills, knowledge and experience to deliver the care and treatment offered by the service.
• There was a clear leadership structure to support good governance and management.
• Staff were proud to work for the service.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Continue to update and maintain staff records to evidence staff immunisations in line with national guidance.
• Embed the process to ensure cleaning schedules are checked.
• Risk assess and check patients receiving Kenalog to see if the requirements for a steroid card have been met.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

Chief Inspector of Hospitals and Interim Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services