Wessex Skin

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

We looked for evidence that staff involved people in decisions about their care and treatment and provided them advice and support. Staff regularly reviewed people’s care and worked with other services to achieve this.

This is the first inspection for this service since its registration with CQC. This key question has been rated as Good.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The service made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them. Feedback from people using the service was positive.

Feedback, provided directly to CQC, indicated people felt involved in decisions about their care and were confident staff understood their individual needs. People told us staff took the time to listen and discuss treatment options, and they did not feel pressured or rushed into making decisions about treatment.

The service considered people’s medical history, and their health and wellbeing needs, when planning care and treatment plans. Consultations included assessments to determine whether proposed treatments were safe and appropriate for each person. Staff used digital flags within people’s records to highlight any specific individual needs, such as allergies or the requirement for longer appointments. For example, additional time was provided to people who felt anxious or nervous.

The service planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them.

They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards. For example, prescribing clinicians had access to the British National Formulary (BNF) to support evidence-based prescribing and ensure they had access to current information on medicines, including potential interactions and contraindications.

Systems were in place to ensure staff were up to date with evidence-based guidance and legislation, including the Department of Health and Social Care, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and relevant professional organisations. Updates, safety alerts and changes to best practice were reviewed and shared with the wider team. Clinical records we saw demonstrated care was provided in line with current guidance.

Staff were supported to maintain and develop their knowledge through a range of continuing professional development opportunities, including conferences, specialist publications, role-specific training and external learning. For example, the lead clinician attended industry conferences and shared key learning with the wider team, while clinical staff completed regular training with suppliers to develop and refresh their skills.

The service worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services.

Staff had access to the information they needed to appropriately assess, plan, and deliver people’s care, treatment, and support. The service had established a professional working relationship with a local private hospital to support people to access additional information and specialist expertise when appropriate. For example, the service hosted educational events for members, where a consultant ophthalmic surgeon from this private hospital delivered talks, provided information about treatment options and offered mini consultations to assess whether people may be suitable for further specialist treatment.

The service supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. The service supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

During consultations, staff addressed lifestyle factors, such as diet and habits, as part of their holistic approach to care. Staff also discussed weight as a factor and could direct and refer people to local supportive services.

The service placed a strong emphasis on health promotion, providing regular newsletters, blogs and social media content to educate people about skin health and treatment options. This included sharing evidence-based information on topics such as sun safety and addressing common misconceptions about dermatological conditions and treatments, helping people make informed decisions about their health.

The service routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

From the clinical notes we reviewed, we found that people who used the service experienced positive outcomes as set out in legislation, standards, and evidence-based clinical guidance.

The service used audits to review practice, monitor compliance and support continuous improvement. For example, a prescribing audit, undertaken in July 2026, reviewed a sample of people receiving botulinum toxin (an injection used to temporarily relax specific muscles, commonly known by the brand name Botox) treatment and assessed documentation and prescribing records. Where areas for improvement were identified, the service took action to strengthen record keeping and documentation. Learning from audits was shared with the wider team.

The service told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

Treatment and care options were fully explained to people, and only treatments which reflected people’s individual goals and needs were recommended. Staff understood and applied legislation relating to consent. All staff had received up-to-date training in the assessment of mental capacity, and all clinical staff completed an additional module in consent. Capacity and consent were clearly recorded in people’s clinical records at each appointment.

Consent processes were regularly reviewed to ensure people were provided with up-to-date information about the risks and benefits of treatment. The service reviewed relevant medicines safety information and updated its consent processes in response to national safety alerts. For example, following a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) alert regarding the risks of Botulinum toxin consent documentation was updated to ensure people were informed of these risks before treatment.