Archived: Eastcliff Medical Practice Also known as EAST CLIFF PRACTICE

Updated 12 October 2022

The registered provider is Whitstable Medical Practice who delivers regulated activities at the location Eastcliff Medical Practice at The Montefiore Medical Centre, Dumpton Park Drive, Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 8AD.

Whitstable Medical Practice provides dermatology clinics at the location Eastcliff Medical Practice, run by a GP (with a specialist interest in dermatology) and a consultant dermatologist, for adults and children referred to them by GPs in the area. These staff are supported by the management team located at Whitstable Medical Practice. Clinics are usually delivered on the first, third and fourth Friday of each month from 8am to 5pm. Additional clinics are provided if needed to help meet patients’ needs in a timely manner.

Whitstable Medical Practice is registered with the Care Quality Commission to deliver the following regulated activities at the location Eastcliff Medical Practice: diagnostic and screening procedures; surgical procedures. The provider is in the process of updating their registration with CQC to include the regulated activity of treatment of disease, disorder or injury as well as make changes to the registered partnership (following two GP partners retiring and five new GP partners joining).

As part of our inspection we visited: Eastcliff Medical Practice, The Montefiore Medical Centre, Dumpton Park Drive, Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 8AD only where the provider delivers registered activities.

The website is www.whitstablemedicalpractice.co.uk.

How we carried out the inspection:

Throughout the pandemic CQC has continued to regulate and respond to risk. However, taking into account the circumstances arising as a result of the pandemic, and in order to reduce risk, we have conducted our inspections differently.

This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site. This was in line with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements.

This included:

• Requesting evidence from the provider.
• A short site visit.

Our judgement of the quality of care at this service is based on a combination of what we found when we inspected, information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

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 12 October 2022

This service is rated as Good overall.

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 the location Eastcliff Medical Practice, which is operated by the provider Whitstable Medical Practice, on 7 September 2022 as part of our inspection programme.

Whitstable Medical Practice provides dermatology clinics at the location Eastcliff Medical Practice, run by a GP (with a specialist interest in dermatology) and a consultant dermatologist, for adults and children referred to them by GPs in the area.

Our key findings were:

• The service had clear systems to help keep people safe and safeguarded from abuse.
• There were systems to assess, monitor and manage risks to patient safety.
• The service had systems to learn and make improvements when things went wrong.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care as well as treatment were delivered in line with current legislation, standards and guidance (relevant to this service).
• The service was involved in quality improvement activity.
• Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to carry out their roles.
• Staff treated patients with kindness, respect as well as compassion and helped patients to be involved in decisions about care and treatment.
• The service organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs as well as preferences.
• Patients were able to access care and treatment from the service within an appropriate time frame.
• There were clear responsibilities, roles and systems of accountability to support good governance and management.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Continue the process to add the regulated activity of treatment of disease, disorder or injury as well as update partnership changes to the provider registration with CQC in a timely manner.
• Continue with plans to carry out annual fire drills.
• Continue to complete the annual infection prevention and control audit as well as develop an action plan to address issues identified.
• Continue with plans to repeat the annual health and safety risk assessment on 4 October 2022 as well as develop action plans to address any issues identified.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

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