AO Medical Ltd

Updated 28 October 2021

AO Medical Ltd offers ‘IntraVita’ intravenous (IV) drip therapy and is registered with the CQC as an independent consulting doctors service. The treatments delivered are intravenous (IV) drips, injections which were in scope of registration, and surgical anti-aging treatments. The provider is registered to provide surgical procedures, and diagnostic and screening procedures, and is located at 104 Oak Rd, Tiptree, Colchester, Essex, CO5 0NA.

IntraVita International Ltd is a UK registered pharmacy in the grounds of this location (which is outside the scope of registration for this inspection) producing healthcare products regulatory agency (MHRA) approved products as a wholesaler, offering training courses, and aesthetic treatments in the aesthetic industry. They are also a centre for clinical trials and research and have been approved by ethics committees for numerous studies on humans for companies to obtain CE Mark or FDA Approval.

The treatment provided to people includes consultations, assessments and treatments. The clinic has two treatment rooms, an IV chill-out area, and a training facility.

The service ‘intravenous therapy’ was mainly provided for non-medical purposes, and a range of aesthetic procedures, some of these activities are outside the scope of CQC registration.

The service operates Monday to Friday from 10am to 3pm. All the appointments are pre-bookable on-line.

How we inspected this service

We requested information from the provider and reviewed this prior to the inspection site visit. The methods we used on site, were talking to the provider, and a review of documents, polices, risk assessments, and procedures. We spoke with people that used the service remotely following the site visit.

To get to the heart of peoples’ 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 28 October 2021

This service is rated as Choose a rating overall.

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at AO Medical Ltd, on 08 October 2021 as part of our inspection programme.

This service is registered with CQC under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in respect of some, but not all, of the services it provides. There are some general exemptions from regulation by CQC which relate to particular types of service and these are set out in Schedule 2 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. AO Medical Ltd provides a range of cosmetic procedures, injections, and intravenous therapy treatments, some of which are outside the CQC scope of registration. Therefore, we did not inspect or report on the services outside of scope.

The service has a registered manager. (the provider). A registered manager is a person who is 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 is run.

Our key findings were:

• The service provided care in a way that kept people safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
• People received care and treatment that met their expectations.
• The provider cared for people in a kind and respectful manner, involving them in their decisions about their care treatments.
• The provider organised and delivered care and treatments to meet peoples’ needs. People could access their care and treatment in a manner that met their needs.
• The provider had processes and systems in place to monitor quality and governance.

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