Archived: CESP (South West) LLP @ Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust

We visited the West of England Eye Unit and spoke with four patients who had cataract surgery on the evening of our visit. We spoke by telephone with another four patients who had surgery earlier in the month to get feedback about their experiences and we looked at seven patients care records. We spoke with eight staff at the hospital which included two surgeons, one of whom was the registered manager, nurses, an anaesthetist and other theatre staff.

All the patients we spoke with were very satisfied with the service they received and with the outcome of their cataract surgery. One patient said, 'Staff were delightful, they couldn't have done more, I would recommend them to anybody'. In relation to the outcome of their surgery, one patient said, 'I am delighted, my vision is transformed', and a second patient commented, 'It's like magic'.

Patients we spoke with confirmed they were involved in decisions made about their care and said all staff treated them with dignity and respect. They also confirmed that they received information about the risks and benefits of the proposed surgery and had the opportunity to ask questions before they signed consent to go ahead. Patients said they were well supported throughout their visit to the hospital and were reassured by all the checks which took place. After the surgery, patients were given detailed information about their post-operative recovery and clear instructions about their eye care, including managing their eye medication. We found that patients were protected from unsafe or unsuitable equipment because all equipment used was regularly serviced and maintained.

We found the provider was compliant with the four standards we looked at.