Background to this inspection
Updated
15 June 2023
Novello Skin Limited
47 Rodney Road
Cheltenham
GL50 1HX
The provider is registered with CQC to provide the following regulated activities: Diagnostic and screening procedures, Treatment of disease, disorder and injury, and Surgical procedures.
Novello Skin provides consultations and dermatological treatments for a variety of conditions. They provide diagnostic tests and information so patients can make informed choices about potential treatments. The provider was also qualified in Dermoscopy (which is the examination and evaluation of pigmented skin lesions making it easier to diagnose skin cancer). Treatments include: thread lift, removal of benign lesions, Botulinum toxin-A (botox) injections for hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating). Some of the services provided by Novello Skin are not regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This report references only those services that are regulated by CQC. Procedures which fall under the regulated activity are conducted by the provider acting as a sole practitioner. There is also a self-employed practitioner working from the service but they do not conduct any of the regulated activity.
Opening times:
Monday Evenings
Tuesday 9am to 5pm
Wednesday 9am to 5pm
Thursday 9am to 5pm
Friday 9am to 5pm
Saturday Varied
Sunday Closed
Evening appointments are also available.
How we inspected this service
We requested information prior to inspection from the provider and conducted a site visit on 5 April 2023. We reviewed care records and documents relating to the management of the service.
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
15 June 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 Novello Skin on 5 April 2023 as part of our inspection programme. This was the first inspection carried out for this provider.
Novello Skin provides consultations and dermatological treatments for a variety of conditions such as benign skin lesions. They provide diagnostic tests and information so patients can make informed choices about potential 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. Novello Skin provides a range of non-surgical cosmetic interventions, for example non-surgical facelifts and chemical peels which are not within CQC scope of registration. Therefore, we did not inspect or report on these services.
There is a registered manager in place. 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 practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
- Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
- Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
- Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
- The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.
- There was limited audit activity looking at patient outcomes to ensure they aligned with patient expectations.
- Policies adopted by the provider did not always reflect the internal structure of the service.
The areas where the provider should make improvements are:
- Strengthen arrangements to manage medical emergencies.
- Monitor patient outcomes to ensure they are appropriate and align with expectations.
- Update policies to reflect the internal structures and processes of the service.
Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA
Chief Inspector of Hospitals and Interim Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services