Newmedica Brigg

Updated 27 January 2023

Lincolnshire Newmedica community ophthalmic service is an independent provider registered with CQC. Outpatient services had been provided since 2018 with surgical services commencing January 2021, to provide the following regulated activities:

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

The Newmedica Brigg eye health clinic and surgical centre operated from the Riverside Surgery and provided services for both NHS and private patients. The clinic was led by consultant ophthalmologists. The service had a manager registered with CQC for two locations at Brigg and Grimsby.

The service provides a range of ophthalmic treatments for NHS and other funded (insured and self-pay) adults. Services 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), and medical retina.

The service had one dedicated operating theatre with an anaesthetic room, a recovery area and three clinic rooms.

The combined surgery return for Lincolnshire for the previous 12 months was 4671 of which 4667 (or 99.91%) were without complications. Outpatient patient interactions for the period was 4,397 via contracts with three area-based commissioners and a minority of private patients.

We had not previously inspected the service. Our inspection was announced (staff knew we were coming) to ensure that we could inspect both the surgical and outpatients’ services. We inspected the surgery service on 6 October 2022 and the outpatients service on 13 October 2022.

Updated 27 January 2023

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 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Updated 27 January 2023

See the summary above for details.

We rated this service as good overall and good for being safe, caring, responsive and well-led. Effective is not rated in outpatients.

Updated 27 January 2023

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.
• 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.
• 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 and made it easy for people to give feedback.
• Leaders operated effective governance processes, throughout the service and with partner organisations
• All staff were committed to continually learning and improving services.

We rated this service as good because it was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.