Communitas Clinics

This service is rated as Good overall.

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Requires improvement

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of Communitas Clinics to award a rating. The service was inspected in October 2018, when we found that it was providing care in accordance with the relevant regulations. At the time of inspecting this service in 2018, we did not have the statutory powers to rate the service.

Communitas Clinics (run by Communitas Clinics Ltd) delivers consultant-led community dermatology and ear, nose and throat (ENT) assessment and treatment services for the NHS.

The Managing Director 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.

Our key findings were:

• The service delivered care from satellite clinics in London, Hertfordshire and Sussex in spaces run by NHS GP providers.
• There were systems to assess, monitor and manage risks to patient safety. Where these were managed by the service they generally worked well. Systems at the satellite clinic sites managed by the host providers were more variable in their effectiveness.
• The service had systems and processes to ensure that these premises were safe, but they were not consistently effective.
• The provider was aware of areas of weaknesses and worked to improve them.
• The provider had systems to keep clinicians up to date with current evidence based practice. We saw evidence that clinicians assessed needs and delivered care and treatment in line with current legislation, standards and guidance.
• Staff employed by the service had the skills, knowledge and experience to carry out their roles.
• Staff treated patients with kindness, respect and compassion.
• The service organised services to meet patients’ needs. It took account of patient needs and preferences.
• Patients were able to access care and treatment from the service within an appropriate timescale for their needs.
• The service took complaints and concerns seriously and responded to them to improve the quality of care.
• Leaders had the capacity and skills to deliver high-quality, sustainable care.
• The service had a culture of high-quality sustainable care.
• There were systems and processes for learning, continuous improvement and innovation.

The areas where the provider must make improvements as they are in breach of regulations are:

• Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients.

(Please see the specific details on action required at the end of this report).

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Develop further clinical audits in ENT to improve the quality of care and outcomes for patients.
• Include information in final responses to complaints about what patients can do if unhappy with the service’s response.
• Improve oversight of systems and processes for risk management at satellite clinics.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

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