Archived: BMH Medical Ltd

Updated 21 July 2021

The provider Balance My Hormones Ltd is registered to provide the regulated activity treatment of disease, disorder or injury at the location: -

BMH Medical,

180 Finchley Road,

London,

NW3 6BP.

BMH Medical, provided treatment for both men and women who had hormone imbalance. The service consisted of a registered manager and two doctors who worked as independent contractors when required.

Clients were introduced to BMH Medical by an online platform Balance My Hormones, which was a separate service owned by the provider which was not within CQC scope of registration of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and Registration Regulations 2009.

BMH Medical does not have its own specific website. The providers’ main website reflects the services of the separate unregistered service Balance My Hormones.

BMH Medical offered online appointments only during the pandemic but planned to recommence face to face appointments in June 2021. The provider rented the location at 180 Finchley Road on an hourly basis as required. On the day of the site visit on 23 June 2021, the provider found the location had been sold to a new landlord and the previous facilities were not available. Following the inspection, the provider submitted an application for removal of 180 Finchley Road as the location, and submitted a new application to carry out the service online and occasionally face to face when requested in short term rented premises

How we inspected this service

Due to the pandemic we have gathered information from the provider prior to the inspection and have carried out interviews with the registered manager and one of the doctors online. We also carried out a site visit on 23 June 2021.

To get to the heart of clients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following five questions:

• Is it safe?
• Is it effective?
• Is it caring?
• Is it responsive to people’s needs?
• Is it well-led?

These questions therefore formed the framework for the areas we looked at during the inspection.

Updated 21 July 2021

We have not rated BMH Medical because the location changed during the inspection. The service was found compliant with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations.

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at BMH Medical between 1 and 23 June 2021 to review the service following the providers registration with CQC on 8 November 2019.

BMH Medical, is registered to provide the regulated activity treatment of disease, disorder or injury. The service provided treatment for both men and women who had hormonal imbalance. The service consisted of a registered manager and two doctors who worked as independent contractors.

A registered manager is a person 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 runs.

Clients were introduced to BMH Medical by an online platform Balance My Hormones, which was a separate service owned by the provider, which at the time of the inspection was not within CQC scope of registration as determined by the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and the registration regulations 2009.

Due to the current pandemic all appointments had occurred online, and the provider had not used the location at 180 Finchley Road, which consisted of consultation rooms rented as required by the hour. On the day of the site visit, the provider found that the property which housed the consultation rooms had been taken over by a new landlord, and the site was not operating as expected. Following the inspection, the provider submitted an application to remove 180 Finchley Road as their location, and submitted an application to add a new location to carry out the service as an online provider, with occasional face to face consultations when requested by clients, in short-term rented premises.

Our key findings were:

• BMH Medical had systems and process in place to safeguard people from abuse.
• BMH Medical had the necessary information available to provide safe care and treatment.
• BMH Medical had systems in place to help ensure the safe management of medicines.
• Although, due to a change of ownership of the location, we were unable to fully review the location premises, the registered manager demonstrated they had considered the systems that were required to ensure the premises were safe.
• We reviewed client records and found clients’ immediate and ongoing needs were fully assessed, the doctors had followed guidance and clinicians had enough information to make or confirm a diagnosis.
• BMH Medical had responded to complaints in a satisfactory manner.
• Clients had prompt access to appointments.
• The service sought and acted upon client feedback to make improvements.
• The registered manager for BMH Medical had a clear vision and set of values, which prioritised patient safety.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Implement and agree a defined formulary of medicines/conditions, for the doctors to prescribe from to achieve a consistent approach.
• Broaden the range of clinical audits that will demonstrate quality improvements.
• Consider a system to quality assess the clinical treatment provided by the independent doctors.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care