The Care Quality Commission

Archived: Optical Express - Bluewater Clinic

Unit L40, Lower Thames Walk, Bluewater, Greenhithe, Kent, DA9 9SJ (01322) 623910

Provided and run by:
DCM Optical Clinic plc

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

9 August 2013

During a routine inspection

We spoke with patients who told us they were happy with the care and treatment they had received at Optical Express. Comments included "I feel very happy with everything" and "It's been very good".

Patients said they had been provided with information about their treatment, the risks involved, what to expect and follow up care. One person said "I was told absolutely everything and was also given information about the risks, so I'm as confident as I can be about it".

We looked at the care records for five patients and saw that they had all signed a consent form to confirm that they were happy with the treatment to be provided. We also saw that the service had gained a full medical history for each patient, that included any known allergies, prior to treatment commencing.

The staff followed good infection control procedures in order to minimise the risk of cross infection and to maintain a clean and hygienic environment for patients to receive their treatment.

We found that robust systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service.

During a check to make sure that the improvements required had been made

This review was to follow up on the findings from our previous inspection of 1 and 3 October 2012. The purpose of the review was to assess if action had been taken in regards to concerns found for some areas of the premises that posed a potential risk to people's safety.

We have reviewed evidence that demonstrates the providers compliance in this area. The provider has taken appropriate action to address the identified concerns around the safety and suitability of premises.

1, 3 October 2012

During a routine inspection

We spoke with two people who were using the service. They told us that they had been provided with information about their treatment options and had been told about the surgery including the benefits, possible risks and the aftercare treatment. Comments included 'I know exactly what to expect as they have explained it all to me'. People told us that they had been given consent forms before their treatment and that staff had explained these to them. People said that they were pleased with the care and treatment they had received. One person told us, 'Everyone has been really nice and I feel completely at ease with the procedure'. We also gathered evidence of people's experiences of the service by reviewing the provider's patient satisfaction surveys. The most recent surveys showed that the majority of people were satisfied with the service and would recommend it to others.

2 March 2011

During a routine inspection

We spoke with 1 person receiving care and viewed a report collated from the pervious 12 months of quality assurance questionnaire responses. Overall, persons receiving care were very happy with the service they had received from the clinic, and found the staff to be helpful, professional and knowledgeable. The persons receiving care felt safe and confident in the staff members' abilities. Both the person receiving care we spoke to and the responses from the quality assurance questionnaires showed a willingness to recommend the clinic on to family and friends as they were so pleased with the care they had received.