Medefer

Updated 5 November 2019

The registered provider, Medefer Limited, was established in 2013. Medefer Limited provides independent consulting doctors and remote clinical advice services from its head office location, Medefer, at 89-93, Fonthill Road. London. N4 3JH. The provider website address is .

Medefer’s head office is in London, but does not see or treat patients in person at its premises. All consultations and management plans are provided remotely by Medefer’s clinicians via Medefer’s secure online portal, telephone, Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VOIP), and online video.

The clinical team comprises specialist consultants, specialist registrars (working under supervision of specialist consultants) who can securely access patient records at a time convenient to both patient and doctor. All clinicians are granted practising privileges.

The service is registered with the CQC for the following regulated activities: Transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely and Treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

Medefer provides clinical services to Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and NHS Trusts where the NHS referral targets will or are being breached. Service contracts are in place with these CCGs and NHS Trusts.

Patients are referred to Medefer by their NHS GP. A Medefer consultant initially reviews the patient referral information. Then a registrar holds a telephone consultation with the patient to obtain a more detailed clinical history. The consultant then further reviews the patient’s clinical information and agree a further management plan based on any additional information that may have arisen from the clinical history. Medefer then organises investigations at appropriate diagnostic units for the patient. The investiagtions results are reviewed by the Medefer consultant and further management arrangeemtns made. Any further patient reviews and follow-ups will be arranged and undertaken by the Medefer clinicians as required. Through the patient journey the registrar is the clinician who has direct contact (via telephone) with the patient concerned.

Medefer does not provide services to private patients contacting them directly.

How we inspected this service

Before the inspection we gathered and reviewed information from the provider. During this inspection we spoke to the Registered Manager and members of the management and administration team.

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.

Updated 5 November 2019

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Medefer on 27 August 2019 as part of our inspection programme.

At this inspection we found:

• The service had arrangements in place to keep people safe and safeguarded from abuse, they had appropriate systems and processes in place to recruit clinicians and non-clinical staff, they had access to appropriate information to deliver safe care and treatment, and they had systems in place to manage and learn from significant events.
• They had appropriate arrangements in place to assess and treat patients, reflecting on published guidance. The service had arrangements for quality improvement and had established a learning culture. Patient care coordination and information sharing arrangements were in place.
• They treated patients with compassion, dignity and respect. Patients were supported to be involved their care and treatment decisions.
• The service responded to and met patients’ needs, they promoted equality and managed and learned from complaints.
• They had a sustainable business strategy and supporting governance arrangements, they had an open culture and learned from significant events, they had systems in pace for safe and secure patient information, and they valued continuous improvement.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Review and update their Statement of Purpose to remove references to private patients, as the service does not currently offer services to this group.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care