Updated 24 August 2023
The provider is a registered midwife and lactation consultant who offers private tongue-tie services to the community within Richmond, Kingston and Spelthorne local authority areas.
The service is registered with the CQC to provide the following regulated activity:
Surgical procedures
The provider is qualified to undertake frenulotomy divisions for babies up to the age of one year, however the procedure is normally done on babies aged from new-born to six months old. Divisions on older babies with teeth or other conditions of the mouth are referred to the NHS.
The provider is a sole trader and the clinician who undertakes the regulated activity. This will be the first CQC inspection since registration in 2021.
Frenulotomy services
Some babies are born with a condition called tongue-tie, which has the medical name ankyloglossia. In this condition, the fold of skin under the tongue connecting the tongue to the bottom of the mouth is shorter than usual, which restricts movement of the tongue. This can cause problems with breastfeeding and the baby may not gain weight at the normal rate.
Some babies require a surgical intervention in order to release the tongue, which is known as a frenulotomy or frenotomy. These services may be offered by the NHS or independent healthcare professionals (such as doctors, dentists and midwives). For treatment on the NHS, patients need a referral from a health visitor, community midwife or GP. Parents can also directly seek advice from private practitioners.
Private and NHS funded frenulotomy services can be provided in people’s homes, clinics or other community settings where the procedure does not necessitate the administration of general or local anaesthesia.
In this report, we use the term ‘parent’. This describes the birth parent or primary carer of the baby and refers to persons who hold legal responsibility for the baby.