The Clinic Rooms Also known as Clear Ears

Updated 2 February 2023

The Clinic Rooms, also known as Clear Ears, is a stand-alone aural care service which specialises in cerumen (earwax) removal by micro-suction. Micro-suction is a technique for removing ear wax or debris using specialised magnification loupes (similar to the type dentists use). This allows the ear canal to be examined in detail. A very fine sterile suction device at low pressure is used to remove the wax. The service also identifies and removes foreign bodies from ears.

The service was founded by a registered nurse who is also the provider. The provider has a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The Clinic Rooms is registered with the CQC to provide the regulated activity of treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

Services are provided on a fee-paying basis only. No NHS funded treatment is available. The service offers consultations and treatment to adults only.

The service is provided from:

The Clinic Rooms

28 High Street

Standish

Wigan

Lancashire

WN6 0HL

The building also includes a podiatry service which is not connected with the Clinic Rooms.

The clinic website is: www.clear-ears.com

The service is open every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with core opening hours of 9am to 5pm. This service is not required to offer an out of hours service. Patients who need medical assistance out of corporate operating hours are requested to seek assistance from alternative services. The service is a nurse led clinic.

How we inspected this service

We carried out this inspection on 25 January 2023. Before visiting the location, we looked at a range of information that we hold about the service. During our visit, we interviewed staff, reviewed documents and clinical records, and made observations relating to the service and the location it was delivered from. We did not speak to patients on the day of the site visit.

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.

Updated 2 February 2023

This service is rated as Good 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 the Clinic Rooms, also known as Clear Ears, on 25 January 2023. The service was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in May 2022. We carried out this first rated inspection as part of our regulatory functions. The inspection was undertaken to check whether the service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Our key findings were:

• The service had systems to assess, monitor and manage risks to patient safety.
• The service assessed need and delivered care in line with current legislation, standards and evidence-based guidance for ear microsuction.
• The service treated patients with kindness, respect and compassion.
• The service organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs. Patients were able to access services within an appropriate timescale.
• The way the service was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

Chief Inspector of Hospitals and Interim Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services