Archived: Healthcare at Home Limited (Bristol)

Updated 9 August 2016

The service delivers complex therapies and treatment to both NHS and private patients.

Private patients are treated at home or in a clinic in the Bristol office. The core services and treatments provided are for an indeterminate period, and include:

• Chemotherapy, monoclonal antibody, bisphosphonate and antibiotic Infusions

• Intra-venous hydration and therapies

• Blood Product Services/phlebotomy and Transfusion

• Peripherally inserted central cather or PICC line care and replacement

• Biologic, Endocrine and Metabolic therapies

• Enzyme replacement therapies

• Rheumatology, Dermatology and Gastroenterology therapies

• Fertility therapies

• Diagnostic and screening procedures

The Healthcare at Home Clinic in Bristol provides consultation rooms for the oncology consultants and is also a treatment facility. It has an infusion suite, five consulting rooms, pathology, screening service and ultrasound facilities.

Updated 9 August 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of Hospitals

"Healthcare at Home Ltd provides a variety of medical, nursing and care services to private and NHS patients in various geographical areas across England. Healthcare at Home Ltd Bristol is a registered location that has seven field based teams covering, London, Devon and Cornwall, Bristol, Gloucester, Taunton and Somerset, Southampton and Portsmouth, Wales and Surrey. Nurses from these teams visit and provide treatment and care to patients in their own homes. The office in Bristol has consulting rooms, a clinic and staff offices. The registered manager is based at the location.

The location is registered to provide the following regulated activities:

• Personal Care

• Nursing Care

• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury

• Diagnostic and screening procedures

• Management of supply of blood and blood derived products.

We carried out an announced onsite inspection on 4 - 6 May 2016 where we observed practice, spoke with staff, patients and the provider.

We have not published a rating for this service. CQC does not currently have a legal duty to award ratings for this service. We did however, find the service provided safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well led services to patients.

Professor Sir Mike Richards

Chief Inspector of Hospitals

Updated 9 August 2016

We found that harm free care was being provided. The provider had a range of safety measures in place and there were systems in place to report concerns or incidents.

Staff were receiving appropriate training which supported them to provide good quality care and ensured they were up to date with the latest guidance around the treatments and procedures they were delivering to patients. Nurses were well supported by their managers and had access to senior staff for guidance or clinical support.

We found that nurses provided compassionate care that respected patients dignity and involved them in all aspects of their care and treatment. Patients told us they were treated with respect by nurses and consultants.

Patients received a flexible service that responded to their needs and listened to their concerns. Patients were provided with information about how to make a complaint if they needed to. The provider had received few complaints.

Nursing staff were provided with leadership from their clinical line managers and the registered manager. Leadership, direction and governance was also provided from the senior staff working from the providers head office located in another region.

We saw areas of outstanding practice including:

• We considered the opportunities for nursing staff to undertake training and the development of specialist skills to be outstanding.

  The electronic records system used by nursing staff and across the organisation provided an outstanding system for the monitoring of patients care and communication between professionals.

However, there were also areas of practice where the provider should make improvements:

• The provider should have an identifiable designated person such as a responsible officer, or the equivalent of a medical advisory committee, to give assurance to the registered manager that consultants were both competent or entitled to practice.

• The provider should complete a risk register that relates solely to the registered location in Bristol.

• The provider should complete formal risk assessments for gas cylinder storage and handling. Suitable arrangements should be put in place for tracking cylinders from the point of receipt to their return empty to the supplier.

• Nurses should monitor and record the temperatures of the fridges used to transport medication.