Archived: Head Office (Newmedica)

Updated 12 April 2022

New Medical Systems Limited is an independent healthcare provider, operated under the brand name ‘Newmedica’. The company is owned by Specsavers Eye Care Services, which is a subsidiary of the Specsavers Optical Group.

Newmedica is commissioned by NHS organisations to provide ophthalmology services (clinical eye care) to NHS patients. Services consist of the care and treatment of eye conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts.

The company structure had changed since our last inspection in 2017. The number of company-operated services had been reduced from 15 to five, while several ‘ophthalmology joint venture’ facilities had been opened and registered with the CQC as separate ophthalmology providers.

Now called ‘managed services’, the remaining company-operated services were grouped under two registered locations. Head office is one of the locations and comprises four managed services: two in Southwest England and two in the Midlands. We inspected the services based in Warwickshire and Leicestershire.

The managed service in Leicestershire oversaw patients attending a private eye hospital that offered lens-replacement surgery for cataracts. Patients received a series of diagnostic tests and eye scans on the day of surgery to confirm their suitability for the planned treatment. At this service, all clinical staff were employed by another provider.

The managed service in Warwickshire was based in an NHS GP practice and provided consultant-led outpatient treatments to people living with AMD. At this service, medical and technical staff were employed by Newmedica.

Both managed services were based in premises owned and operated by other providers. At each site, facilities and certain equipment were shared between Newmedica and the other providers under contract arrangements.

Head Office (Newmedica) has a registered manager in post and is registered with the CQC to provide the following regulated activities:

• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury
• Diagnostic and screening services
• Surgical procedures

The service does not treat children.

Updated 12 April 2022

Our rating of this location stayed the same. We rated it as good because:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them. Staff collected safety information and used it to improve the service.
• Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients and had access to good information. Services were available five days a week. The service engaged well with patients and received overwhelmingly good feedback.
• Staff provided excellent care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink, and gave them pain relief when they needed it. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information. Key services were available six days a week.
• The service took account of patients’ individual needs and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills.
• Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were very clear about their roles and accountabilities.
• The service engaged well with patients and other stakeholders to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

Updated 12 April 2022

The Newmedica service based in Leicestershire managed NHS patients attending a private eye hospital that offered lens-replacement surgery for cataracts.

This service was owned and operated by another provider, under contract to Newmedica.

During our inspection, we confirmed that all diagnostic imaging facilities, including staff and equipment, were provided by the host hospital. This meant that aspects and areas of the work we inspected is not included in this report.

Imaging activities we observed were undertaken by trained technicians and optometrists using specialist scanners and other optical devices. These tests were performed on the day of surgery to confirm suitability for the planned treatment.

Diagnostic imaging is a smaller proportion of activity. The main service was surgery. Where arrangements were the same, we have reported findings in the surgery section.

We rated this service as good because it was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

Updated 12 April 2022

The outpatient service we inspected consisted of the care and treatment of an eye condition called age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The treatment involved patients attending the clinic for eye injections every month or so over extended periods of time.

The managed service we inspected was based in an NHS GP practice. The consultants and staff involved were employed by Newmedica, while all facilities and certain equipment were shared between Newmedica and the NHS practice under contract arrangements.

This meant that some areas and aspects of the work we inspected are not included in this report.

Outpatients is a smaller proportion of activity. The main service was surgery. Where arrangements were the same, we have reported findings in the surgery section.

We rated this service as good because it was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

Updated 12 April 2022

The main service we inspected was surgery. Where our findings on surgery – for example, management arrangements – also apply to the other services, we do not repeat the information but cross-refer to the surgery service.

We rated it as good because:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them. Staff collected safety information and used it to improve the service.
• Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients and had access to good information. Services were available five days a week. The service engaged well with patients and received overwhelmingly good feedback.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients and their families.
• The service took account of patients’ individual needs and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills.
• Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were very clear about their roles and accountabilities.