Peninsula Heart Clinic

Updated 5 April 2023

Peninsula Heart Clinic is a cardiology centre located alongside the South West Regional Cardiothoracic Centre. It is located on the grounds of an acute hospital and has a formal partnership with a local NHS Trust (referred to as the host trust throughout the report). This co-location allows for on-site access to cardiac surgeons, anaesthetists, medical emergency team and critical care facilities should they be required.

Peninsula Heart Clinic primarily provides elective NHS outsourced services from the host trust to assist with the demands for elective work across the South West region. The service adheres to all host trust policies and processes and is viewed by staff as an extension of the existing cardiology department. NHS work accounts for 96% of elective work with the remaining 4% being private patient work. This inspection focused on staff employed by the provider and services provided for private patients.

Peninsula Heart Clinic provides both private outpatient cardiology and invasive cardiology services. These include procedures such as Angiography, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Pacemakers, Device Implants, Cardiac Electrophysiology and Ablation. Outpatient tests and procedures include Echocardiograms, Holter studies, Ambulatory blood pressure, resting electrocardiograms and Direct Current Cardioversion.

Specialist clinics include adult congenital heart disease, rapid access heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia clinics and fast track trans-thoracic echocardiography.

The service employs 29 members of staff, 9 cardiac physiologists via a service level agreement with the host trust and 9 consultant cardiologists working under practising privileges arrangements (a license agreed between individual medical professionals and private healthcare providers). All consultants hold substantive NHS consultant appointments. All consultants are registered with the General Medical Council with additional specialist registration.

There is a service level agreement between Peninsula Heart Clinic and the host trust. This sets out arrangements for activities such as managing records, medicines and safety incidents. Building maintenance and waste management are managed via external contracts.

In the 12 months up until 31 January 2023 the service had performed a total of 444 outpatient appointments, 501 diagnostic tests and 140 catheterisation laboratory procedures.

The service registered with the Care Quality Commission in June 2019 and is registered to provide diagnostic and screening procedures and treatment of disease, disorder and injury.

We carried out a short notice announced comprehensive inspection of private patient elective services at Peninsula Heart Clinic. We had not previously inspected or rated this location.

We rated all key questions for diagnostic and imaging services as defined within our methodology apart from effective which was inspected but not rated at this inspection

We rated them overall as good.

Updated 5 April 2023

We rated it as good because:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well.
• The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
• Staff provided good care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink, and gave them pain relief when they needed it.
• Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients. Key services were available to suit patients' needs.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills.
• Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care.
• Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

However:

• Digi locks mounted on doors into areas storing medical equipment and intravenous fluids were not consistently used which could allow unauthorised persons access.
• Not all substances under control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) regulation had been risk assessed.

Updated 5 April 2023