Care Quality Commission finds private clinic in Fitzroy Square ‘Inadequate’

A private GP practice in Fitzroy Square has been placed into special measures after inspectors discovered emergency equipment shortages, out-of-date medicines and management failures risked harm to patients.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) took enforcement action against the Fitzrovia Medical Clinic — independent from but located inside the larger private Fitzrovia Hospital — after the provider failed its first ever regulator inspection in March.

The regulator stated that the clinic, which only sees up to two patients a week, was staffed with “kind, empathetic and compassionate” clinicians. But they had failed to show they could act effectively during emergencies and consistently pick up on signs of life-threatening illness.

“We didn’t see any systems to identify or flag people with higher risks, or to share national safety alerts, meaning staff might not act on this information. Staff recruitment and training records were incomplete, and we weren’t assured that staff could recognise deteriorating conditions like sepsis quickly,” said Andy Ford, the commission’s deputy director of primary and community care.

Ford added that the clinic was only holding follow-up appointments if people booked and paid for them proactively.

When reviewing a clutch of case files, inspectors found no evidence some patients were getting their test results or were able to act on them, which put them at risk of harm. The clinic’s records also did not include clear advice on red flag symptoms like shortness of breath, drowsiness and confusion, and there was no system in place to ensure patients received follow-ups for “abnormal” test results.

There was also no thermometer found on site during the inspection, and the CQC identified six emergency medicines that were not available in the clinic’s emergency kit bag — including those used to treat seizures, croup in children and meningitis.

This was in breach of national guidelines and “could present a serious risk in a real emergency”, the CQC found. However, the provider claimed the emergency medicines could be found elsewhere in the hospital, but this was not clearly communicated and the regulator found no risk assessments for them being held off-site.

Meanwhile, one clinician could not provide proof they were fully immunised, and another was not proven to be a registered health professional. Another clinical member of staff had apparently not finished training in fire safety, safeguarding children, sepsis, learning disability and autism awareness, among other fields.

Inspectors found a wider fault with the leadership, which it judged inadequate on almost all counts. Leaders did not demonstrate oversight of risks to make sure safe care was being provided, and even though staff described their leaders as “approachable and supportive” they could not explain the clinic’s wider vision, strategy or values.

However, inspectors admitted patient feedback on the service was limited, and those it spoke to said staff were “kind and professional”. The watchdog noted that the space was “clean, well-maintained, and accessible”.

Once a service is placed in special measures, the CQC says it will re-inspect within six months to check that it has made sufficient progress to improve. If the regulator then judges the service to have made sufficient progress, it will remove it from special measures.

On Wednesday 24 June a spokesperson for Fitzrovia Medical Clinic told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “[We] acknowledge the publication of the CQC report. We take all regulatory findings seriously and have carefully reviewed the report.

“We remain committed to patient safety, quality improvement and maintaining appropriate standards of care. As this concerns a regulatory matter, we do not intend to comment further at this time.”

However, as of 29 June a notice on its website states: “Fitzrovia Medical Clinic will cease providing medical services on 30 June 2026 and will close thereafter.”

Care Quality Commission report: Fitzrovia Medical Clinic, Fitzrovia Hospital, 13-14 Fitzroy Square, London, W1T 6AH.

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