Wells Menopause Clinic - online service

Updated 29 July 2022

Wells Menopause Clinic – online service was set up by the registered provider – Dr Juliet Balfour, who is a practicing GP and is recognised as a specialist menopause clinician by the British Menopause Society.

The service provided is an online service with consultations provided by telephone or video calls. The service operates from Beryl Cottage, Hawkers Lane, Wells, Somerset, BA5 3JP. As an online service, no patients are seen directly at this location. We visited this office as part of the inspection to review records and documentation. Information regarding the service can be found on the website: https://www.wellsmenopauseclinic.co.uk/

The provider does not employ any staff and services are provided solely by them.

The service is provided for women over the age of 18 who mainly self-refer to the clinic. Referrals can be made by the patients GP. The service is provided to approximately four women per week.

Consultations are provided on a Monday from 2pm to 6pm.

Services offered include an initial consultation and assessment to discuss the patients’ medical history, symptoms and concerns, impact of the menopause on the patient’s life, advice and options for treatment. The provider can, if appropriate, prescribe Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for the patient. Lifestyle advice can be provided but this was not reviewed at this inspection as it was not part of the regulated activity the provider is registered for.

Updated 29 July 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 Wells Menopause Clinic – online service on 9 June 2022 as part of our ongoing inspection programme.

This is the first inspection since the service registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 October 2019. The provider applied to change the conditions of their registration and in March 2022 removed a location and became an online service to be known as Wells Menopause Clinic – online service.

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 provided. There are some exemptions from regulation by CQC which relate to particular types of regulated activities and services and these are set out in Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 of The health and Social Care Act 2008 (regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Wells Menopause Clinic – online service provides support and lifestyle advice to women regarding menopause which is not within the CQC scope of registration. Therefore, we did not inspect or report on these services.

At this inspection we found:

• The provider had good systems to safeguard adults and children, manage safety alerts and learn from any significant events.
• The provider had implemented safe systems to prescribe medicines for patients.
• The provider had made adjustments to their appointment system to increase access to their service. However, there was still a long waiting list of patients who had not been provided with an appointment. The provider had temporarily closed the waiting list but signposted alternative services they could access if needed.
• Patients received effective care and treatment which met their needs. The provider followed national best practice guidelines and ensured care and treatment was based on up to date evidence. However, the provider had not reviewed or audited the care and treatment provided which could drive improvement.
• The provider had the skills, knowledge and experience to carry out their role. They were a GP and had undertaken specialist training in women’s health.
• The provider involved and treated people with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• The facilities were appropriate for the services delivered. The provider operated the service from a home office and ensured the confidentiality and security of patient’s personal information.
• There were clear and effective processes for managing risks, issues and performance.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Consider auditing the care and treatment provided as quality assurance of the outcomes for patients.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care