We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 12 March 2019 to ask the practice the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

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

Are services effective?

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

Are services caring?

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

Are services responsive?

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

Are services well-led?

We found that this practice 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 practice was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Frant Road Clinic provides private GP services including consultations, treatment, referrals to specialist services and general health checks.

This practice is registered with CQC under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in respect of some, but not all, of the services it provides. There are some general exemptions from regulation by CQC which relate to particular types of service and these are set out in Schedule 2 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. For example, at Frant Road Clinic services are provided to patients under arrangements made by their employer or a government department or insurance company with whom the servicer user holds a policy (other than a standard health insurance policy). These types of arrangements are exempt by law from CQC regulation. Therefore, at Frant Road Clinic, we were only able to inspect the services which are not arranged for patients under any of the terms above.

There are two GPs at Frant Road Clinic, one of them is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the practice. 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 practice is run.

Our key findings were:

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and for reporting and recording significant events. The practice complied with the Duty of Candour Regulation.
• Doctors understood their responsibilities regarding safeguarding of adults and children.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. There were risk assessments of premises which included a risk of Legionella and the findings were acted on.
• The practice had appropriate facilities and was equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• Doctors assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment. They said it was easy to make appointments.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• The doctors had a clear vision and ethos with the health, safety and wellbeing of patients at its centre.

Rosie Benneyworth, BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of PMS and Integrated Care