Newmedica Community Ophthalmology Service Also known as Newmedica

Updated 12 December 2022

Newmedica Community Ophthalmology Service is operated by Norfolk Newmedica Limited. The service started operating in November 2021.

The Newmedica Group is commissioned by NHS organisations to provide ophthalmology services (clinical eye care) for mainly NHS patients. The service also offers private patients access to services which accounts for a smaller part of their activity.

The service is registered to provide the following regulated activities:

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

All surgery undertaken by the service is adult, day case, ophthalmology surgery under local anaesthesia. There are no overnight patient stays.

The ophthalmic team consists of:

• Ophthalmology consultants
• Optometrists
• Registered nurses
• Clinic assistants
• Operating department practitioners
• Scrub technicians
• Administration staff

We did not inspect the outpatient services as part of this inspection.

Updated 12 December 2022

This is the first time we inspected this service. 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 generally 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 6 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.

However:

• Staff did not always record negative or positive findings for allergies on the patient’s medicines chart.

Updated 12 December 2022

We have not previously inspected the service. We rated it as good. See the overall summary above for details.