HCA Healthcare UK Sydney Street Outpatients, Leaders in Oncology Care

Updated 10 December 2021

LOC @ Chelsea is operated by Leaders in Oncology Care. Leaders in Oncology Care (LOC), part of HCA Healthcare UK, was set up by four cancer specialists with the ambition of providing care and treatment, according to recognised best practice. Initially a single clinic, the service expanded its facilities and services to meet the needs of patients, consultants and evolving treatment options. The service primarily serves private patients from London, but also accepts patient referrals from outside this area, including international patients.

The provider opened LOC @ Chelsea in May 2017. The service has 15 treatment bays with two side rooms, four consulting rooms, phlebotomy room, an on-site pharmacy and PET/CT scanner services.

We inspected this service previously in June 2019 and we rated it outstanding. We returned to inspect this service to check if our assessment of the service was accurate and the service was still outstanding. The provider had temporarily closed this location during the COVID-19 pandemic and at the time of the inspection, the service had re-opened two days a week. Patients were provided with treatment and support at other locations run by the provider during the time the location was closed.

There are two other sister sites who share the same staff, governance and leadership teams, although they are registered under separate providers. In this report, data mentioned is often shared across these three sites.

The main service provided by this clinic was cancer services. During our previous inspection we inspected this location under two core service frameworks, which were medical care and diagnostic imaging. Since then, CQC have released a cancer core service framework which was used to carry out this inspection.

Updated 10 December 2021

Our rating of this location stayed the same. We rated it as outstanding because:

• Staff went above and beyond to treat patients with compassion and kindness. The service was orientated towards respecting patients’ privacy and dignity. Staff took account of their individual needs and helped them understand their conditions. Patients and their families were provided with emotional support through a variety of support services. Despite the outpatient nature of the service, patients and their families had access to a wide selection of complementary therapies such as massage, aromatherapy and reiki. A wide range of psychological therapies was available dependent on patient choice and requirements. Mindfulness, relaxation and exercise sessions were available virtually for those who needed additional support at home.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of the people who used it, took account of patients’ and their families individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and waited minimally for treatment. As the service was part of an independent provider it was under no obligation to monitor waiting times for patients but did so in order to improve the service.
• 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 learnt 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, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, and supported them to make decisions about their care. Key services were available seven days a week across provider sites where required.
• 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 local organisations to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

However:

• At the time of inspection, not all staff had completed the required level of life support training.
• There were seven nursing vacancies across the service at the time of inspection, although the service had enough nursing and support staff to keep patients safe as staffing was shared between the three sister sites. The service demonstrated it was actively recruiting into these vacancies with a number of initiatives, and senior staff provided clinical cover where required.
• At the time of our inspection, no data was collected specifically for patients receiving supportive and palliative care, although this was planned for the near future.

Updated 10 December 2021

Updated 31 October 2019

We rated this service as good because it was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.