The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • Independent doctor

Nuffield Health Liverpool Fitness and Wellbeing Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

1 Riverside Drive, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 4EN (0151) 707 6000

Provided and run by:
Nuffield Health

All Inspections

06 June 2023

During a routine inspection

This service is rated as Good overall. (Previous inspection 7 November 2017 – no rating given)

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 Nuffield Health Liverpool Fitness and Wellbeing Centre on 6 June 2023 as part of our inspection programme. The inspection was carried out to check whether the service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008. The service was inspected in 2017 but not rated. This was the first rated inspection of the service.

The service provides a range of screening and health assessments relating to the promotion of physical and mental wellbeing of people. Patients are provided with a comprehensive report of the findings of the assessment and referrals are made to other services or support services if required. This service is available to both corporate and fee paying private patients aged 18 years or over.

Nuffield Health – Liverpool Fitness and Wellbeing Centre is registered with the CQC to provide the following regulated activities: Diagnostic and screening procedures and treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

This service is registered with CQC under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 in respect of some, but not all, of the services it provides. For example, physiotherapy, lifestyle coaching and gym facilities do not fall within the regulated activities for which the location is registered. Therefore, we did not inspect or report on these services.

The service had a 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.

We did not speak to any patients during the inspection but we reviewed feedback received by the provider from patients following their consultations. Feedback was positive and where feedback suggested improvements, changes were made.

Our key findings were:

  • There was an holistic approach to assessing, planning and delivering care and treatment. This included the use of innovative approaches to care.
  • Staff supported people to live healthier lives, including identifying those who needed extra support, through a targeted and proactive approach to health promotion and prevention of ill-health.
  • The provider had systems and processes for monitoring and managing risks and safety.
  • Best practice guidance was followed when referring or signposting patients for further care or support.
  • Patients were offered appointments at a time convenient to them and treatment was offered in a timely manner.
  • Patients received clear information about the assessments provided which enabled them to make an informed decision.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management and worked well together as a team.
  • There was a clear strategy and vision for the service.
  • The leadership and governance arrangements promoted good quality care.

We saw some elements of outstanding practice in the Effective domain:-

  • The provider had implemented a number of national charitable flagship programmes to widen access for patients and ease the burden on the NHS. This included offering 12 week programmes such as the COVID-19 rehabilitation programme to support patients physically and emotionally and the joint pain programme to support patients to self manage chronic pain.
  • The provider was working with NHS partners on a research project to evaluate the effectiveness of long term supported exercise intervention for men with advanced prostate cancer who had undergone treatment.
  • The provider was also working with people in the local community to provide services to improve health outcomes for people.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

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

07/11/2017

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Nuffield Health Liverpool Fitness and Wellbeing Centre on 7 November 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 providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Background Information

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 Liverpool Fitness and Wellbeing Centre provides 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.

The service is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in respect of some, but not all, of the services it provides. For example, physiotherapy and lifestyle coaching do not fall within the regulated activities for which the location is registered with CQC.

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.
  • A system was in place for reporting, investigating and learning from significant events and incidents.
  • Systems were in place to deal with medical emergencies and staff were trained in basic life support.
  • There were systems in place to reduce risks to patient safety. For example, infection control practices were carried out appropriately and there were regular checks on the environment and on equipment used.
  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance.
  • Feedback from patients about the care and treatment they received was very positive.
  • Patients were treated with dignity and respect and they were involved in decisions about their care and treatment.
  • Patients were treated in line with best practice guidance and appropriate medical records were maintained.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Staff had access to all standard operating procedures and policies.
  • 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.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and improvements were made as a result of complaints.
  • The service had good facilities, including disabled access. It was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
  • There was a clear leadership and staff structure and staff understood their roles and responsibilities.
  • The practice had a clear vision to provide a safe and high quality service.
  • There were clinical governance systems and processes in place to ensure the quality of service provision.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice