We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 6 June 2018 to ask the service the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

We found that this service was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services effective?

We found that this service was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services caring?

We found that this service was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services responsive?

We found that this service was providing responsive care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services well-led?

We found that this service was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Albany Medical Centre is one of four slimming clinics owned by the same provider. The clinic is located in the London Bridge area. The clinic consists of a reception room, a separate waiting area, and a consulting room. It is on the first floor of 64 Borough High street. It is very close to London Bridge rail and tube station, and local bus stops. Parking in the local area is very limited and the clinic is not wheelchair accessible.

The clinic provides slimming advice and prescribed medicines to support weight reduction for adults from 18 – 65 years. It is a private service. It is open for walk ins or booked appointments on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4pm – 7pm.

The clinic is staffed by a receptionist and a regular doctor. If for any reason, a shift is not filled, staff from another location are able to provide cover.

The Registered Manager was often on site during the clinic opening hours. If not, he was contactable on his mobile phone at all times. 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 Regulations about how the clinic is run.

This service is registered with CQC under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in respect of the provision of advice or treatment by, or under the supervision of, a medical practitioner, including the prescribing of medicines for the purposes of weight reduction.

Patients completed CQC comment cards to tell us what they thought about the service. We received nine completed cards and all were positive. We were told that the service was very good, and that staff were respectful, welcoming, patient and supportive.

Our key findings were:

• We saw evidence that medicines supplies were refused appropriately to patients who did not fit the treatment criteria.
• Whilst the service had recently opened at this location, staff were continuously looking for areas for improvement.
• Staff were conducting an audit into the quality of information taken over the phone from potential patients.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:

• Review the need for a formal risk assessment detailing how emergencies would be managed.
• Only supply unlicensed medicines against valid special clinical needs of an individual patient where there is no suitable licensed medicine available.
• Review the need for a risk assessment with regards to Legionella testing.
• Review arrangements regarding the use of chaperones and services for people whose first language is not English.
• Review the audits undertaken to enable staff to demonstrate the effectiveness of the service.