Sk:n Reading

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 of Sk:n Reading between 9 and 10 February 2022. The inspection was carried out to check whether the service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008. This was the first inspection of the service since it registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in 2016.

The provider specialises in medical aesthetic treatments and anti-ageing medicine while also offering rejuvenation and dermatology treatments for clients. This service provides independent doctor-led dermatology services, offering a mix of regulated skin treatments and minor surgical procedures, as well as other non-regulated aesthetic treatments.

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 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. Sk:n Reading provides a range of non-surgical cosmetic interventions, for example, laser hair removal, laser tattoo removal, skin peels, dermal fillers, and acne treatments which are not within CQC scope of registration. Therefore, we did not inspect or report on these services.

Sk:n Reading is registered with the CQC to provide the following regulated activities:

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

The clinic 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.

Our key findings were:

• The service had effective systems to monitor, detect and prevent the risk of infection.
• All staff had undertaken all mandatory training appropriate to their role.
• There were comprehensive health and safety and premises risk assessments in place.
• Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities and explained clearly what they would do if a patient’s condition was not suitable for treatment by the service.
• Clinical records were clearly written and kept securely to maintain privacy of confidential patient information.
• Best practice guidance was followed when providing treatment to patients.
• Staff working on a sessional basis had appropriate clinical oversight to ensure they were suitable for the role and delivered care in line with best practice guidelines.
• The service asked patients for consent to communicate with their regular GP about their treatment. However, we did not see examples of letters being sent in the clinical records we examined.
• There was a chaperone policy, all staff had received chaperone training and the providers’ policy was to complete disclosure and barring service checks on all staff. When patients called the providers’ national contact centre they were told that chaperones were available, however, in the clinical room we inspected there was no notice or poster to let patients know they could ask for a chaperone.
• Where people accessing the service had additional needs such as a learning disability, the clinic was responsive and adapted to meet them so that all patients could receive care.
• Policies and procedures were reviewed frequently to make sure they had up to date information and guidance to support staff. When changes were made there was an effective system for communicating these to staff.
• Senior leaders were clear about the risks and challenges facing the services and had a strategy and vision on how to address these.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Review processes for reminding patients that chaperones are available.
• Review the system for notifying patients’ GP practices about treatment and prescribing of medication.

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