Core Medical Solutions Ltd

Updated 5 September 2022

Core Medical Solutions is a service which provides shockwave therapy to NHS patients across the United Kingdom. Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a treatment which uses shockwaves to break down stones in the kidney and urinary tract or to smooth joint surfaces. The shockwaves are produced by a machine and are focused onto the stone or joint surface using X-ray or ultrasound guidance. The waves pass through the skin and break up the stones into tiny fragments which come out when the urine is passed.

The service offers the treatment to adults.

The service operates from a base site in Norwich, East of England. Two mobile equipment units were based at this site, which comprised of a treatment table, lithotripter machine, X-ray and ultrasound machines that are transported to satellite sites based within host organisations. The service also provides one clinic, which is fixed. This means the equipment is permanently based at the host organisation.

This location has not previously been inspected. Findings from this inspection identified that the service was failing to comply with requirements of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 Specifically Regulation 17, (1)(2)(a)(b)(d), Good governance. A warning notice has been served to the provider requiring that they make immediate improvements and comply by 10 October 2022. Please see areas for improvement section for further details.

Updated 5 September 2022

We have not rated this location previously. We rated it as inadequate because:

• Staff did not have training in key skills to understand how to keep patients safe and protect them from abuse. Staff did not assess risks to patients or act upon them. The service did not manage safety incidents well.
• The provider did not have effective systems to monitor the effectiveness of the service or make sure staff were competent.
• The provider did not maintain secure records in relation to persons employed in the carrying on of the regulated activities.
• The provider did not plan care to meet the needs of local people.
• Leaders did not run services using reliable information systems or support staff to develop their skills. The provider did not have an effective strategy to carry out its vision. The provider did not engage with the health community to plan and manage services and they were not committed to improving services continually.

However:

• The provider had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe, staff controlled infection risk and kept good care records.
• Staff monitored patients pain and took action to relieve this as much as possible. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients. Key services were available to suit patients' needs.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients.
• The service took account of patients’ individual needs. The service did not have control of whether people could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment.
• Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care.

We are placing the service into special measures.

Services placed in special measures will be inspected again within six months. If insufficient improvements have been made such that there remains a rating of inadequate overall or for any key question or core service, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures to begin the process of preventing the provider from operating the service. This will lead to cancelling their registration or to varying the terms of their registration within six months if they do not improve. The service will be kept under review and, if needed, could be escalated to urgent enforcement action. Where necessary another inspection will be conducted within a further six months, and if there is not enough improvement we will move to close the service by adopting our proposal to vary the provider’s registration to remove this location or cancel the provider’s registration.

Updated 5 September 2022

We have not rated this service previously. We rated it as inadequate. See the summary above for details.