Archived: LiveSmart Headquarters Office

Updated 8 November 2018

LiveSmart U.K. Ltd (the provider) offers health assessments and healthcare plans to people aged over-18 years. It was registered by the Care Quality Commission under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in September 2017, to provide the regulated activities Diagnostic and screening procedures, Transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely and Treatment of disease, disorder or injury. The provider is registered by the CQC in respect of some, but not all, of the services it provides. For example, services provided to people under arrangements made by their employer are exempt by law from CQC regulation. Therefore, we were only able to inspect the services which are not arranged for service users by their employers.

People registering to use the service complete an online questionnaire about their health and lifestyle. They are sent blood sampling kits, which are posted back to a laboratory for analysis. Alternatively, service users may attend a local clinic for the sampling, or a nurse or phlebotomist can visit them at home or at work to obtain the blood samples. The written health assessment reports are produced following a review of the laboratory tests and the health and lifestyle questionnaires. They are accessible by a secure online account or via a mobile telephone app. The provider offers four different levels of service package, the basic one includes a report by a dietitian registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), with three months of health coaching by telephone with the dietitian. The other packages provide a report by a doctor registered by the General Medical Council (GMC), together with ongoing health coaching by a dietitian for up to six months. No medicines or supplements are prescribed or dispensed. The service is provided mostly to people under corporate arrangements with their employers; this currently represents around 95% of the business. Since the service was established, approximately 3,300 health assessments have been provided, with more than 900 coaching calls being conducted.

Details of the service are available on the provider’s website - www.getlivesmart.com

The provider operates from office premises at Monmouth House, 58-64 City Road, London EC1Y 2AL, where its managerial and administrative staff are based. It has four female doctors, all registered by the GMC, four female dietitians, registered by the HCPC, and an employed phlebotomist (a person trained to take blood samples). In addition, there is a contracted nurse and a contracted phlebotomist. The clinical staff normally work remotely, although there are facilities at the premises for the dietitians to conduct private telephone health coaching.

How we inspected this service

Before the inspection we gathered and reviewed information from the provider. This inspection was carried out on 5 September 2018 by a CQC lead inspector and a GP specialist adviser at the provider’s offices.

During this inspection we spoke to the provider’s chief executive officer, who is also the registered manager; the medical director, who is a doctor registered by the GMC; and the clinical lead, a dietitian registered by the HCPC. 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 reviewed the provider’s governance policies and looked at a number of healthcare records of people using the service. We received comments from two service users, submitted via our website, following our inspection being announced.

To get to the heart of service users’ experiences of care and treatment, we 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.

Why we inspected this service

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. It had not been inspected previously.

Updated 8 November 2018

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at LiveSmart Headquarters Office on 5 September 2018, as part of our inspection programme. This service had not been inspected previously.

LiveSmart U.K. Ltd offers online health assessments and provides healthcare plans to people aged over-18 years. The health assessment reports and healthcare plans are produced following a review of laboratory tests of blood samples and of service users’ completed health and lifestyle questionnaires. The reviews are conducted either by a doctor or a dietitiandietitian. The service provides a series of monthly telephone health coaching sessions for either three or six months by a dietician. The service does not include prescribing or dispensing any medicines or supplements and does not provide diagnoses of health conditions, other than in relation to Vitamin D deficiency. Details are available on the provider’s website - www.getlivesmart.com

Our findings in relation to the key questions were as follows:

Are services safe? – we found the service was providing a safe service in accordance with the relevant regulations. Specifically:

• Arrangements were in place to safeguard people, including arrangements to check service users’ identity.
• Suitable numbers of staff were employed and appropriately recruited.
• Risks were assessed and action taken to mitigate any risks identified.

Are services effective? - we found the service was providing an effective service in accordance with the relevant regulations. Specifically:

• With service users’ consent, information was appropriately shared with their own GP in line with GMC guidance.
• Quality improvement activity, including clinical audit, took place.
• Staff received the appropriate training to carry out their role.

Are services caring? – we found the service was providing a caring service in accordance with the relevant regulations. Specifically:

• The provider carried out checks to ensure reviews and consultations met the expected service standards.
• Feedback reflected that service users were treated with dignity and respect.

Are services responsive? - we found the service was providing a responsive service in accordance with the relevant regulations. Specifically:

• Information about how to access the service was clear and the service was available 7 days a week.
• The provider did not discriminate against any client group.
• Information about how to complain was available and complaints were handled appropriately.

Are services well-led? - we found the service was providing a well-led service in accordance with the relevant regulations. Specifically:

• The service had clear leadership and governance structures
• A range of information was used to monitor and improve the quality and performance of the service.
• Personal information was held securely.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice