i-GP Virtual Doctor

Updated 26 June 2019

Background

Doc Records Ltd is registered for the following regulated activity: Treatment of disease, disorder or injury and provides an online consultation, treatment and prescribing service for a limited number of medical conditions to patients primarily from England, Scotland and Wales. The conditions treated are limited to a range of 25 minor conditions. For example, hair loss, contraception, sore throat, chlamydia, herpes, dental abscess, sinusitis, cystitis and urinary tract infections. A specific list of medicines that the provider can prescribe to treat these conditions is detailed on the provider’s website. The service does not treat patients under the age of 18 and does not prescribe any pain relief, controlled drugs or high-risk medicines.

Doc Records Ltd consists of a team of 12 members which include the founder and chief executive officer (CEO), who is a GP and the registered manager, the chief medical officer (CMO) who is a GP, a chief of operations (COO), a chairman, finance and legal team and a medical board. Both GPs are registered with the General Medical Council (GMC), have a license to practice and were on the GP register and undertake remote patient consultations by reviewing patient’s requests and completed medical questionnaires when they apply for prescriptions on-line.

The service is open between 8am and 10pm on a Monday to Sunday. However, patients can submit a request for treatment 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the provider’s website. Requests for treatment are generally dealt with within one hour depending on when they are received.

This is not an emergency service. Subscribers, if assessed and approved, pay a consultation fee. The assessment process is such that patients complete an online assessment, once approved by a GP, treatment is prescribed. After completion of the assessment, some patients may require a telephone consultation to determine the best course of treatment.

Doc Reports Ltd is operated via a website () which is currently only available in English. The provider is in the process of introducing a translated version (100 languages).

How we inspected this service

Before the inspection we gathered and reviewed information from the provider. We visited Doc Reports Ltd at their registered address in Kings Hill, Kent and spoke to the CEO/registered manager and the chief medical officer. We looked at the records, policies and other documentation the provider maintained in relation to the provision of services.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we 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 26 June 2019

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at i-GP Virtual Doctor on 29 April 2019, as part of our comprehensive inspection programme and to provide a rating for the service.

The provider, Doc Reports Ltd provides an online clinic, consultation, treatment and prescribing service for a limited number of medical conditions to patients from England, Scotland and Wales (we only inspected the services provided to patients in England). This service is known as i-GP Virtual Doctor and is coordinated via the following website: www.i-gp.uk

At this inspection we found:

• The service had good systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When they did happen, the service learned from them and improved their processes.
• Prescribing was in line with national guidance, and patients were told about the risks associated with any medicines prescribed.
• The service routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
• Following patient consultations information was appropriately shared with a patient’s own GP in line with GMC guidance.
• The provider carried out checks to ensure consultations by GPs met the expected service standards.
• Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Patients could access care and treatment from the service within an appropriate timescale for their needs.
• There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP