Archived: Fleet Street

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Fleet Street under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our current inspection programme. This inspection was planned to check whether the service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

London Doctors Clinic Limited – Fleet Street, known as Blackfriars, is an independent doctors service which provides private general medicine services from Ludgate House 107-111 Fleet Street, London, EC4A 2AB. All services are private and subject to payment of fees, which are detailed on the provider website. No NHS services are provided.

Dr Seth Rankin 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 nine completed CQC comment cards and spoke with one patient. Feedback was consistently positive about the services provided. Patients described the doctors as considerate, helpful, caring and attentive. Three patients commented that they would recommend the service to friends and family. Other patients commented on their positive experiences at Blackfriars.

Staff we spoke with told us they were very well supported in their work, felt valued and were proud to be part of the organisation.

Our key findings were:

• The service had clearly defined processes and systems in place to keep people safe and safeguarded from abuse. Staff we spoke with knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and a system in place for recording, reporting and learning from significant events, incidents and complaints.
• There were effective arrangements in place for monitoring and managing risk to people and staff safety. Staff had received essential training in safe working practices.
• There were effective recruitment procedures in place to ensure staff were suitable for their role.
• Patients received effective care that met their needs, kept them safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
• The premises were clean, well maintained and well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• Patients were offered timely appointments convenient to them.
• Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• The service reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence-based guidelines and best practice.
• There were clear responsibilities, roles and systems for accountability to support good governance and management.
• There was a clear vision and strategy and an open and supportive culture.
• There was evidence of continuous quality improvement. The service had a comprehensive and effective approach to managing and responding to patient feedback which was collated, analysed and shared to drive improvement.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGPChief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care