Archived: Dr Talha Shawaf Clinic

Updated 20 September 2019

Dr Talha Shawaf Clinic is based in London. The service offers gynaecological and reproductive medicine services for adults over the age of 18. The services include consultation on fertility care, investigations and treatments including In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), pre and early pregnancy care, menopause and gynaecological conditions.

The provider is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for the regulated activities of Treatment of Disease Disorder or Injury and Diagnostic & Screening Procedures.

The service operates from 64 Harley Street, London, W1G 7HB, which is rented from another health care provider. The provider has use of a treatment room and emergency medicines and equipment. Patients had access to other areas of the medical centre such as the waiting areas and accessible toilets. Patients are greeted by the receptionist (employed by the host location). The provider manages bookings for the clinic and records on a clinical system. An arrangement is in place for Dr Shawaf to utilise the host location’s nursing staff if chaperone services are required.

Dr Shawaf is a single-handed provider who is supported by a secretary and personal assistant who were both self-employed. Dr Talha Shawaf consults six days per week and sees an average of 10 patients a week at the clinic.

How we inspected this service

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 20 September 2019

This service is rated as Good overall. (Previous inspection November 2019 – Not rated)

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 Dr Talha Shawaf Clinic as part of our inspection programme.

Dr Talha Shawaf provides gynaecological and reproductive medicine services for adults over the age of 18. The services include consultation on fertility care, investigations and treatments including In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), pre and early pregnancy care, menopause and gynaecological conditions. Patients having IVF treatments are referred to a Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) licensed centre for the surgical procedures where Dr Shawaf works under practising privileges (the granting of practising privileges is a well-established process within independent healthcare whereby a medical practitioner is granted permission to work in an independent hospital or clinic, in independent private practice, or within the provision of community services).

Dr Talha Shawaf 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 received 12 CQC comment cards, all of which were positive about the service. Patients described the provider as highly professional, friendly, respectful and informative.

Our key findings were:

• Systems and processes were in place to keep people safe.
• The provider was aware of current and relevant evidence based guidance and they had the skills, knowledge and experience to carry out his role.
• The provider did not audit clinical outcomes however In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) success rates were independently monitored on an annual basis.
• Patients who used the service had an initial consultation where a detailed medical history was taken from the patient. Patients and others who used the service were able to access detailed information regarding the services offered and delivered by the provider.
• The website for the service was very clear and easily understood. In addition, it contained information regarding treatments available and fees payable.
• Patient satisfaction with the standard and quality of services received was high.
• The clinic had processes in place to securely share relevant information with others such as the patient’s GP and when required, safeguarding bodies and private healthcare facilities.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Continue to review necessary training requirements and establish when training is required to be refreshed.
• Review arrangements to be assured that health and safety systems are being undertaken and audited appropriately.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care