• Hospital
  • Independent hospital

Sevenoaks Medical Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Beadle House, London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 2JD (01732) 386470

Provided and run by:
KIMS Hospital Limited

Latest inspection summary

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Background to this inspection

Updated 6 September 2022

Sevenoaks Medical Centre is operated by KIMS Hospital Limited. The service registered with us on 19 March 2020. The service provides outpatient clinics, minor treatments, diagnostic and imaging procedures and physiotherapy, to people aged 18 years and above. The centre also provides a private GP service. The services at the centre are offered to NHS, self-paying and privately medical insured patients.

Services are provided over three floors, with a waiting room on each floor.

The centre is registered to provide regulated activities of:

  • Family planning
  • Treatment of disease, disorder and injury
  • Surgical procedures
  • Diagnostic and screening procedures

The centre has had a registered manager since registering with the CQC. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the service is managed.

We have not inspected this service before. However, we monitored the service using our engagement and transitional monitoring approach. We did not receive any information of concern about the service prior to the inspection, and there were no serious incidents or safeguarding alerts.

Track record on safety:

  • No reported never events
  • No serious injuries reported
  • No formal complaints received

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 6 September 2022

We rated it as good because:

  • The service provided mandatory training in key skills to all staff and made sure everyone completed it.
  • Staff understood how to protect patients from abuse and the service worked well with other agencies to do so. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it.
  • Staff monitored the effectiveness of care and treatment. They used the findings to make improvements and achieved good outcomes for patients.
  • The service made sure staff were competent for their roles. Managers appraised staff’s work performance and held supervision meetings with them to provide support and development.
  • Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals worked together as a team to benefit patients. They supported each other to provide good care.
  • Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and took account of their individual needs.
  • Staff supported patients, families and carers to understand their condition and make decisions about their care and treatment.
  • People could access the service when they needed it and received the right care promptly.
  • Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. The service promoted equality and diversity in daily work and provided opportunities for career development. The service had an open culture where patients, their families and staff could raise concerns without fear.
  • Leaders had the skills and abilities to run the service. They understood and managed the priorities and issues the service faced. They were visible and approachable in the service for patients and staff. They supported staff to develop their skills and take on more senior roles.
  • The service controlled infection risk well. Staff used equipment and control measures to protect patients, themselves and others from infection. They kept equipment and the premises visibly clean.

However:

Diagnostic Imaging department

  • Staff did not keep keys to the medicine cupboards in a secure place.
  • The medicines cupboard temperature within the clinical room was found to be out of range and we did not see evidence that the high temperatures had been reported to the pharmacist. It was unclear whether the service had received guidance from the pharmacist as to the safety of the medicines stored inside.

Outpatient department

  • Staff did not always keep control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) secure. The service took immediate action to secure the cleaning products after we raised our concerns.
  • The storage of bulk waste, waiting for collection, was not in line with guidance.