Archived: The Care Oncology Clinic

Updated 18 February 2020

Care Oncology Clinic is a consultant led service providing cancer treatments that may complement or enhance existing cancer treatment. After an initial consultation has taken place and written patient consent submitted, the service prescribes an ‘adjunctive treatment protocol’ of a combination of up to four medicines. These medications include, for example, an antibiotic medicine and a medicine used in the treatment of diabetes - all of which are being used ‘off licence’ (meaning they are being used for treatments outside of their respective terms of license).

The clinical team consists of four consultant oncologists supported by three nurses, a general manager and team of administrative staff. Care Oncology Clinic consults from 40 Harley Street and sees patients on an outpatient appointment basis Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 6:00pm. The service is only available to adults.

There are three consultation rooms located in a basement location. The patient waiting area is located on the ground floor. The premises are serviced by a lift.

The general manager is the service’s Registered Manager. 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.

How we inspected this service

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always 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.

Updated 18 February 2020

This service is rated as Good overall. We have not previously inspected this location.

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 Care Oncology Clinic as part of our inspection programme. Care Oncology Clinic offers cancer treatments that may complement or enhance patients’ existing cancer treatment care. The service prescribes an ‘adjunctive treatment protocol’ of up to four medicines prescribed ‘off label’ (meaning they are not being used for their originally intended usage) as an adjunctive to patients’ existing cancer treatments.

We received comment cards feedback from ten patients during our inspection – all of which were positive about the quality of care received and the manner in which the ‘adjunctive treatment protocol’ was explained.

Our key findings were:

•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.

•Quality improvement activity (such as clinical audit) supported the delivery of safe and patient centred care.

•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.

•Joint working arrangements promoted interactive and co-ordinated person-centred care.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Take action to ensure governance arrangements work effectively regarding complaints management, staff recruitment and the appropriateness of the service’s Infection Prevention and Control Policy.
• Take a ction to review consent protocols including ensuring patients receive appropriate written information about medicines’ ‘off label’ use, so as to support making informed decisions about undergoing treatment.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care