12 June 2019
During a routine inspection
This service is rated as Good overall. (Previous inspection December 2017) The clinic was not rated.
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 Snowberry Lane Clinic as part of our inspection programme.
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
This service is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in respect of some, but not all, of the services it provides. There are some exemptions from regulation by CQC which relate to particular types of regulated activities and services and these are set out in Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
This service is registered with CQC under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in respect of the provision of: -
• Treatment of diseases, injury and disorder
• Diagnostic and Screening Procedures
• Surgical Procedures
• Slimming Services with no prescribed medication
The aesthetic cosmetic treatments that are also provided are exempt by law from CQC regulation. Therefore, we were only able to inspect the provision of advice and treatment and not the aesthetic cosmetic services.
The practice manager is the registered manager. 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.
Thirty-three clients provided written feedback about the clinic via CQC Comments Cards. All clients commented on the high standard of care provided by clinical staff as well as the kindness and courtesy offered by reception staff. All clients said they felt involved in decision-making about the care and treatment they received. They told us they felt listened to and supported by staff and had sufficient time during consultations to make an informed decision about the choice of treatment available to them.
Our key findings were:
- The service was offered on a private, fee paying basis and was accessible to people who chose to use it.
- Procedures were safely managed and there were effective levels of client support and aftercare advice.
- There were systems, processes and practices in place to safeguard clients from abuse.
- Information for service users was comprehensive and accessible. Staff had the relevant skills, knowledge and experience to deliver the care and treatment offered by the service.
- The service encouraged, valued feedback from service users via in-house surveys and the website.
Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGPChief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care