The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • Independent doctor

First Health Medical and Skin Care Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

43 Stonecot Hill, Sutton, Surrey, SM3 9HH (020) 8644 5511

Provided and run by:
Dr Fouzia Rizvi

All Inspections

19 September 2023

During a routine inspection

This service is rated as good overall. The service had previously been inspected 7 July 2022. At the 2022 inspection the service was found to be in breach of regulations 12 and 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, and was rated as requires improvement.

The full reports for previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for First Health Medical and Skin Care Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of First Health Medical and Skin

Care Centre on 19 September 2023. We found that the breaches of regulation from the previous inspection had been addressed. Following this inspection, 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

Our key findings were:

  • The service provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
  • Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
  • Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
  • The service organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs. Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
  • The way the service was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.

The service should:

  • Ensure that all staff are trained in awareness of suspected sepsis.
  • Expand audit to include review of specific medicines.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

Chief Inspector of Health Care

visit 7 July 2022, telephone interview 20 July 2022, evidence review 4 July - 29 July 2022

During a routine inspection

This service is rated as Requires improvement overall.

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Requires improvement

Are services effective? – Requires improvement

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Requires improvement

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at First Health Medical and Skin Care Centre as part of our inspection programme and to provide a rating for the service. The service was last inspected on 23 May 2018, and was found to be meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 but there were some areas where we identified the provider could make improvements.

The service provides general practice services, including travel vaccination and family planning. It also provides medical treatment for a number of skin conditions and minor surgery (e.g. to remove moles, warts and cysts).

The service provides general practice services, including travel vaccination and family planning. It also provides medical treatment for a number of skin conditions and minor surgery (e.g. to remove moles, warts and cysts).

This service is registered with CQC under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in respect of some, but not all, of the services it provides. There are some exemptions from regulation by CQC which relate to particular types of service and these are set out in Schedule 2 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. First Health Medical and Skin Care Centre also offers a range of aesthetic services not regulated by CQC including Botox and laser hair removal.

The lead GP is the 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 spoke to one patient during the inspection and looked at feedback collected by the service.

Our key findings were:

  • The service did not have clear systems to keep people safe and safeguarded from abuse.
  • Systems to assess, monitor and manage risks to patient safety were not consistently effective.
  • Medicines and equipment to deal with medical emergencies were not monitored effectively to ensure that they were available and effective when required.
  • There were gaps in records used to demonstrate that staff had the skills and knowledge to carry out their roles.
  • The service was not actively involved in clinical quality improvement activity.
  • Systems to support good governance and management were not clearly set out or effective.
  • There was limited evidence of learning, continuous improvement and innovation.
  • From the records we reviewed, staff prescribed medicines to patients and gave advice on medicines in line with legal requirements and current national guidance.
  • Individual care records were written and managed in a way that kept patients safe. The care records we saw showed that information needed to deliver safe care and treatment was available to relevant staff in an accessible way.
  • Patients said they were treated with care, compassion, dignity and respect.
  • The service took account of patients’ needs and preferences, and had made adjustments to allow access.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management.

The areas where the provider must make improvements as they are in breach of regulations are:

  • Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients.
  • Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

(Please see the specific details on action required at the end of this report).

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

  • Update the complaints leaflet available for patients to ensure the information provided is correct.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care

23 May 2018

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 23 May 2018 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

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.

The service provides general practice services, including travel vaccination and family planning. It also provides medical treatment for a number of skin conditions and minor surgery (e.g. to remove cysts). There are some exemptions from regulation by CQC which relate to particular types of service and these are set out in Schedule 2 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. First Health Medical and Skin Care Centre also offers a range of aesthetic services not regulated by CQC including Botox and laser hair removal.

The lead GP is the 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.

Sixty-six people provided feedback about the service, and the feedback was wholly positive.

Our key findings were:

  • Most risks to patients were assessed and well managed. However, actions taken to manage risk were not all documented.
  • Clinical equipment had not been calibrated at the time of the inspection, however we were sent evidence shortly after the inspection that equipment purchased more than 12 months earlier had been replaced.
  • Audit was used to check care was delivered according to best practice.
  • Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • There were arrangements to safeguard patients from abuse.
  • Patients said they were treated with care, compassion, dignity and respect.
  • Information about how to complain was available and easy to understand. There had been no complaints.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:

  • Review arrangements for safety management to ensure safety (e.g. fire alarm checks) are documented and that calibration is carried out at appropriate intervals.
  • Review decision to only carry out standard Disclosure and Barring Service checks on non-medical staff who are available as chaperones.
  • Review training arrangements to ensure that staff receive training to the appropriate level, e.g. in safeguarding and basic life support.
  • Review policies to ensure they are complete and up-to-date. Consider developing documented protocols for checking patient identity and communicating with patients’ permanent GP.