This service is rated as Requires improvement overall. The previous inspection in January 2017 was not rated.
The key questions are rated as:
Are services safe? – Inadequate
Are services effective? – Requires improvement
Are services caring? – Good
Are services responsive? – Good
Are services well-led? – Requires improvement
We carried out an announced comprehensive at Harmony Medical Diet Clinic in Wood Green as part of our inspection programme.
Harmony Medical Diet Clinic provides weight loss services for adults, including the provision of medicines for the purposes of weight loss under a doctor’s supervision.
The doctor 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.
11 people provided feedback about the service and their comments were all positive. They told us it was a friendly, effective service.
Our key findings were:
- Patient feedback was positive and they found the service effective
- Patient leaflets were available in a range of languages and in pictorial form
- Processes to ensure the proper and safe management of medicines were not effective
- Equipment had not been calibrated
- Processes to assess and monitor risks and quality of service were not effective
The areas where the provider must make improvements as they are in breach of regulations are:
- Ensure that care and treatment is provided in a safe way.
- Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.
(Please see the specific details on action required at the end of this report).
The areas where the provider should make improvements are:
- Review the need for chaperones and, if the service is offered, ensure suitably trained and competent staff are available.
- Review the policy for disposal of medicines to ensure it is in line with controlled drugs regulations and followed in practice.
- Consider including a question on the quality of clinical care provided when asking patients for feedback
- Review the arrangements for ensuring that the service only treats patients aged 18 and over
- Review the arrangements for the retention of medical records if the provider ceases trading, in line with Department of Health guidance.
- Only supply unlicensed medicines against valid special clinical needs of an individual patient where there is no suitable licensed medicine available
Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care