Updated 21 April 2023
Health Bridge Limited (“The Provider”) launched an online doctor service in 2011. It is registered to provide the following regulated activities: Diagnostic and Screening procedures and Treatment of Disease, Disorder, Injury (TDDI). Zava (Health Bridge Ltd) (“The service”) registered with the Care Quality Commission in 2011 currently trades under the following website names: ‘Zava’ (www.zavamed.com/UK/), www.onlinedoctor.asda.com (on behalf of Asda Stores Limited) and www.onlinedoctor.superdrug.com on behalf of Superdrug Stores PLC (Superdrug). A separate website, www.zavamed.com(Known as “Zava”), provides a service for residents of, other European countries, including Germany, France and Ireland. Zava Germany, Zava France and Zava Ireland were not inspected as part of this inspection.
The Superdrug online doctor service is available for use by UK residents. The service operates the website, on behalf of customers of Superdrug. Its clinical and customer services staff are responsible for handling the treatment requests from patients whilst the dispensing and dispatching of medicines is undertaken by Superdrug.
The Asda online doctor service is available for use by UK residents. The service operates the website, on behalf of customers of Asda. Its clinical and customer services staff are responsible for handling the treatment requests from patients whilst the dispensing and dispatching of medicines is undertaken by Asda. The Asda online doctor service is open for consultations Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm. Patients can access the website, message the service and submit requests 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The service is open for consultations, for Zava and Superdrug between 9am and 6pm on weekdays 9am to 5pm on Saturdays and 10am to 4pm on Sundays. Patients can access the website, message the service and submit requests 24 hours a day, seven days a week .
It is not an emergency service.
Patients are required to complete a general medical questionnaire to register with the service. Thereafter, for each consultation a patient selects a preferred treatment available on the service’s website after completing the appropriate questionnaire. The provider carries out asynchronous text-based consultations, which do not take place in real time.
The choice of treatments available include: erectile dysfunction; premature ejaculation; hair loss; contraceptive pill; emergency contraception (morning after pill); cystitis; period delay; bacterial vaginosis; female facial hair; rosacea; cold sore; migraine; traveller’s diarrhoea; hay fever; blood pressure; asthma; diabetes; acne; smoking cessation; anti-malaria; genital herpes and genital warts; and jet lag. The service also offers a limited range of tests, including tests for: HIV; Hepatitis; Syphilis; Gonorrhoea; and Chlamydia.
Once a patient had completed and submitted a request, the doctors review the completed questionnaire and determine the appropriateness of the treatment for the patient. Doctors contact patients where necessary to clarify answers given. If the doctor assesses the patient request to be clinically appropriate, they approve the request and the patient will receive the treatment. Alternatively, the doctor can request further information from the patient via their online patient record or by telephone. If the doctor decides not to prescribe a requested medicine, the patient is sent a message to their secure patient account stating the order will not be fulfilled and a refund is processed.
The cost of the service for patients includes the price of the medicine ordered in the UK. Patients can choose to have the prescription sent to their preferred pharmacy.
How we inspected this service
Before the inspection we gathered and reviewed information from the provider. We also reviewed information held by the CQC on our internal systems. We carried out a site visit and spoke with the provider.
We reviewed the provider’s governance policies and looked at forty sets of healthcare records of patients using the service.
To get to the heart of patients’ 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.