Newmedica Community Ophthalmology Service Also known as Teesside Newmedica Limited

Updated 11 August 2022

Teesside Newmedica community ophthalmic service is an independent provider registered with CQC since 2019, to provide the following regulated activities:

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

The service had a manager registered with CQC.

The service provided a range of ophthalmic treatments for NHS and other funded (insured and self-pay) adults. These included general ophthalmology, cataract surgery and management, ocular hypertension and glaucoma treatment and monitoring, oculoplastics, (which is a broad term for a number of surgical procedures on the eye and the surrounding structures, including the eye socket, eyelids, tear ducts, and parts of the face), medical retina, and yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) laser treatments. YAG laser capsulotomy is a type of laser treatment that is used to make a hole in the capsule to allow light to pass through to the back of the eye to improve vision.

The service had one dedicated operating theatre with an anaesthetic room, a recovery area, a dedicated YAG laser room, four consulting rooms and three investigation rooms.

Our inspection was unannounced (staff did not know we were coming). This was the second inspection conducted at this service as we had previously visited to inspect surgery services. The outpatient service had not previously been inspected.

Updated 11 August 2022

This report describes our judgement of the quality of care at this service. It is based on a combination of what we found when we inspected, information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and information given to us from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

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. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
• Staff provided good 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 seven days a week.
• 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, families and carers.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment.
• 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 clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.
• We also undertook a follow-up inspection for surgery services. We inspected surgery services in March 2022 and told Newmedica Teesside that the service must ensure the expiry dates of emergency medicines were checked in accordance with the provider’s policy and these medicines were replaced before the expiry date was reached. We told the service that they must ensure all bank staff had completed mandatory training and safeguarding training, so they had the necessary skills to carry out their role. We found that these areas had improved.

Updated 11 August 2022

We rated it as good because:

• The service provided mandatory training in key skills to all staff and made sure everyone completed it.
• Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it.
• Staff completed and updated risk assessments for each patient and removed or minimised risks. Staff identified and quickly acted upon patients at risk of deterioration
• The service had enough staff with the right qualifications, skills, training and experience to keep patients safe from avoidable harm and to provide the right care and treatment.
• The service managed patient safety incidents well. Staff recognised incidents and near misses and reported them appropriately.
• The service made sure staff were competent for their roles. Managers appraised staff’s work performance and held supervision meetings with them to provide support and development.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and took account of their individual needs.
• The service planned and provided care in a way that met the needs of local people and the communities served.
• Leaders operated effective governance processes, throughout the service and with partner organisations
• All staff were committed to continually learning and improving services.

Updated 11 August 2022

During the outpatient service inspection, we undertook a follow-up inspection for surgery services. As we follow-up on specific areas where the service was told they must or should improve, we do not repeat the information provided during the initial inspection.

We inspected surgery services in March 2022 and told Newmedica Teesside that the service must ensure the expiry dates of emergency medicines are checked in accordance with the provider’s policy and these medicines were to be replaced before the expiry date was reached. We also told the service that they must ensure all bank staff had completed mandatory training and safeguarding training, so they had the necessary skills to carry out their role

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

• Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. They managed medicines well.
• Staff were experienced, qualified and had the right skills and knowledge to meet the needs of patients. Managers supported staff to develop through yearly, constructive appraisals of their work.