- Independent doctor
Vision of Hope
We served a warning notice on Vision of Hope Clinic Limited on 18 August 2026 for failing to meet the regulations as it was not delivering its service in a safe environment and not managing medicines safely.
Assessment report published 30 September 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 30 June 2026. Vision of Hope is an independent service providing consultations with the doctor who provides the service. The service aims to provide holistic support and associated complementary treatments for adults, most of whom have been diagnosed with cancer. Consultations are held remotely but treatments can be provided from a treatment room at the location address. People can access the service on a fee-paying basis only. The service is open from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday.
This was a comprehensive assessment. We undertook this assessment due to the length of time since our last assessment. This assessment considered the demographics of the people using the service, the context the service was working in and how this impacted service delivery. Where relevant, further commentary is provided in the quality statements section of this report.
We found gaps in systems to maintain safety. The service did not always learn from safety events and there were gaps in risk assessments to cover environmental risks including fire safety. The facilities and equipment were not always safely maintained, with failings in infection, prevention and control procedures. The provider had relevant skills, qualifications and experience but there was no clear policy governing required training and the provider was not up to date with safeguarding training. Prescriptions did not always include all relevant information, and some medicine was not being stored safely. However, the service had a system in place to receive and review national safety alerts.
People were involved in assessments of their needs. The service took account of people’s communication, personal and health needs. The service included written consent forms completed by people using the service although these were not sufficiently specific. There was no auditing of outcomes or other measures of performance.
People were treated with kindness and compassion. The provider treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. People had choice in their care and treatment.
People were involved in decisions about their care. The service provided information people could understand although the website required updating. People knew how to give feedback and were confident the service took it seriously and acted on it. The service was easy to access and worked to eliminate discrimination.
The provider had a vision for the service but there were gaps in governance and failures to identify and act on risk. Most policies were overdue for review and had last been reviewed in 2019. The service kept paper medical records securely but did not provide us with assurance about the security of digital systems.
We found breaches of regulation in relation to safe care and treatment. We have issued an enforcement notice against the provider instructing them to improve. Additionally, we found breaches of regulation in relation to good governance.We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.
People's experience of this service
We spoke with 7 people who used the service. The feedback was positive with people praising the professionalism, kindness and responsiveness of the service. People told us that the provider was clear about the complementary nature of the service (that is, it was not a replacement for oncological treatments such as chemotherapy). They said the provider always took time to listen and provided advice on topics, such as diet, that they trusted. People told us that the service had made a positive difference to their care after diagnosis. The service had not received any complaints over the previous 12 months.