Updated 4 December 2019
Background
Babylon Healthcare Services Ltd provides an online GP consultation service, which patients can access online or via a digital application (app). Patients can either pay for single consultations or subscribe to the service for a fixed period, during which they have unlimited access.
Patients book a consultation online or via the app and select the date and time of their consultation. At the time of their appointment, the GP contacts the patient and the consultation is held as a video chat.
Where appropriate, the GP can issue a prescription to the patient which is sent either to the pharmacy of their choice or to a pharmacy delivery service.
The service has approximately 150 salaried GPs who are on the General Medical Council (GMC) register. The GPs work remotely undertaking patient consultations. Patients are able to book a ten-minute consultation with a GP 24/7, 52 weeks a year.
Babylon Healthcare Services Ltd is registered with the CQC to provide the regulated activities; Treatment of disease, disorder or injury; Transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely.
A registered manager is in place. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the
CQC 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.
How we inspected this service
Before the inspection we gathered and reviewed information from the provider. During this inspection we spoke to the managing director of UK operations, medical director, members of the management and administration team and consulting GPs.
To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we 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.