Fitzrovia Medical Clinic received the lowest possible rating of ‘Inadequate’ from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection in March. The damning report was published on June 19, and within 12 days, on July 1, the service was archived on the CQC website after its provider, Fitzrovia Medical Ltd, shut it down.
The private practice, located within Fitzrovia Hospital, offered remote GP consultations, investigations and prescriptions to adults and children. Fitzrovia Medical Clinic confirmed that the inspection report related to a "historic" period prior to its closure, adding that no patients are currently receiving care from the service.
In the report published in June, an inspector for the CQC said: “We found missing and out of date items, with no documented risk assessments which assessed if medicines and equipment were required.
“The clinic did not have effective triaging processes and staff were unable to demonstrate knowledge of sepsis recognition and systems for escalation of patients.”
Symptoms of sepsis in adults
NHS
Common symptoms of sepsis in adults include:
- confusion or slurred speech
- uncontrollable shivering
- muscle pain
- difficulty breathing
- blue, pale, grey or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on black or brown skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- a high or low temperature – a high temperature is less common in older adults
- not peeing all day or peeing very little in the past 18 hours
The inspection also found issues with patient record-keeping and staff training records. There was no system in place to make sure that abnormal results were followed up properly.
Despite this, the assessment also found that staff felt the clinic had an open culture where concerns could be raised. It was described as clean, accessible and generally well-maintained.
The assessment found that the clinic was Inadequate in the aspects of Safety, Effectiveness and Leadership. However, it was assessed as Requires Improvement – one grade up – in the categories of Caring and Responsiveness.
In the report, the inspector found that there was no system to identify high-risk patients or for receiving patient safety alerts. Patient identification checks were not consistently completed or recorded, with follow-ups and continuity of care not always carried out.
Read More
They also found that a patient feedback QR code displayed within the clinic didn’t work. The provider told the inspector that it relied on Google reviews and in-person feedback during consultations.
The provider did supply a compliments and complaints log for the period of November 2023 to July 2025 which recorded 15 compliments.
Feedback described staff as patient, helpful, knowledgeable and professional, and stated people had a positive experience when using the service. Within the last 12 months, one compliment was received which described a staff member as brilliant, sensitive and supportive.