Optimax Laser Eye Clinics - Southampton

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• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

At our last assessment we rated this key good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

We have not awarded this service a score for Caring.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Caring.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff treated patients with respect and dignity. Staff actively listened to patients’ concerns and preferences, addressing patients with their preferred name. Staff maintained the confidentiality of information about patients. Sensitive conversations about care and treatment were carried out in private rooms.

Staff supported patients to understand and manage their care, treatment or condition. We saw staff taking time to sit with patients and explain their treatment and what would be happening, giving patients opportunities to ask questions if needed.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences.

The service supported patients with personal, cultural, social and religious needs to make informed choices about care and treatment. The service had sought advice regarding collamer containing implants, containing porcine collagen, and confirmed these would be suitable for people observing kosher or halal practices. This promoted individual choice and considered patient preferences.

Following patient feedback, the service introduced same day appointments for patients. Patients were offered the choice of face to face or virtual consultations were possible and could communicate with the service through their preferred route.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Patients were in control of where and when to have their care and treatment. There were processes in place to support families and friends attending appointments if the patient wished to have them present. Consultations could be organised at other linked locations, to support patient independence. This supported patients to plan their care and treatment more effectively.

Patient records show staff informed them of the expectations for clinic appointments and surgery to ensure suitable preparation of transport needs and care arrangements. If an appointment time was not suitable for a patient, this could be rebooked to suit schedules.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff were aware of and managed any specific risks, such as underlying patient conditions or changes in observations. When patients expressed discomfort, staff immediately responded. Surgeons used topical anaesthesia during procedures and encouraged patients to let them know if they felt pain. Staff adjusted the amount of anaesthesia used based on individual patient needs.

Staff could quickly recognise when people needed urgent help or support and used appropriate tools and technology to assist. There were emergency buzzers in each patient area and call bells in the recovery room. This alerted staff to respond to patients promptly if urgent assistance was needed.

The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff felt respected, supported and valued. We heard from staff how they enjoyed working for the service and were proud of the care they provided. There was a culture of kindness and respect between colleagues. When staff needed to travel to other service locations to provide cover, this was voluntary and leaders ensured travel and accommodation were arranged in advance.

All staff were provided with a range of employment benefits, such as a health plan with a tiered benefit system. This included routine and emergency dental care, physiotherapy and chiropractic consultations and prescription medicine charges. All staff received an additional paid annual leave day for their birthday. Staff rota records showed this had been booked and used. The central provider offered a free of charge 1 week children’s summer camp for staff members.

Leaders told us how space had been offered to staff who wished to practice their religious beliefs privately. Reasonable adjustments such as accommodations for prayer had been introduced for clinic schedules when staff needed this.

However, no staff at this location had participated in the most recent provider wide staff survey in March 2026. Some staff said appraisals or conversations about career development were supportive and they had been offered development opportunities, while some staff reported this had not occurred.