The Care Quality Commission
  • Hospital
  • Independent hospital

AIG Aesthetic Care

Overall: Inadequate read more about inspection ratings

2 Goodall Street, Walsall, WS1 1QL 07895 655674

Provided and run by:
AIG Aesthetic Care Ltd

All Inspections

01 February 2024

During a routine inspection

Our rating of this location stayed the same. We rated it as inadequate because:

  • The premises and equipment were not safely managed and presented a number of infection risks. Processes and systems to manage infection control risks were not fit for purpose. Staff and leaders did not understand the principles of infection control.
  • Medicines management processes did not meet national standards and presented a significant risk to patients.
  • The provider had improved some aspects of fire safety in the previous 5 months but practices still did not meet safe standards.
  • The service did not ensure the privacy and dignity of patients and information management processes for the use of CCTV were not fit for purpose.
  • There was limited evidence of evidence-based practice. The provider did not use established systems and frameworks to benchmark, audit, or monitor clinical activities and patient outcomes.
  • The provider did not have a coherent clinical governance framework, the leadership structure was vague, and senior staff had a fundamental lack of understanding of risk. Risks we had previously told the provider to address remained because there was a lack of competence and understanding in the provider about recognising and responding to risks.

However:

  • Patients reported high levels of satisfaction with the service.
  • The provider had introduced new policies and standard operating procedures.
  • Staff provided consistent follow-up care after treatment and worked with patients to meet their expectations.

23 October 2023

During an inspection looking at part of the service

As this was a follow up inspection, we did not rate the service:

  • The service had installed a new fire safety system, fire safety policy, and planned to introduce new training.
  • The service had implemented new processes for the use of surgical equipment, including the introduction of single-use instruments.
  • The service had repaired and refurbished some aspects of clinical areas, such as the strengthening of walls and replacement of damaged benches.
  • Governance processes, including the use of appropriate policies and standard operating procedures, were subject to a new system of review and implementation.

However:

  • While infection prevention and control monitoring systems had improved, not all areas of the building were visibly clean.
  • Clinical areas remained non-compliant with Department of Health and Social Care health building notices.
  • There was limited evidence-based practice. The provider did not use established systems and frameworks to benchmark, audit, or monitor clinical activities and patient outcomes.
  • The provider had implemented a new clinical governance framework, but the leadership structure and risk management oversight remained vague and senior staff had a fundamental lack of understanding of risk.

At the time of our inspection the service was suspended from delivering care subject to regulated activities due to a Notice of Decision served under Section 31 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 active from 27 September 2023 to 1 November 2023. Following this inspection, we agreed the Notice of Decision would lapse on 1 November 2023 and the provider could resume regulated activities.

25 September 2023

During a routine inspection

We have not previously inspected this service. We rated it as inadequate because:

  • The premises and equipment were unhygienic and in a poor state of repair. Processes and systems to manage infection control risks were not fit for purpose. Staff and leaders had not recognised the risks or acted to mitigate them.
  • Decontamination processes did not meet national standards and presented a significant risk to patients.
  • The service did not ensure the privacy and dignity of patients and there was CCTV in use throughout the clinic without nationally required control measures in place.
  • Fire safety systems were unacceptable and did not keep patients and staff safe. The provider had not acted on risk assessments that had highlighted fire risks.
  • Policies and standard operating procedures were out of date, not fit for purpose, and had been copied from another clinic with different facilities. Staff knowledge of policies was very limited.
  • There was limited evidence of evidence-based practice. The provider did not use established systems and frameworks to benchmark, audit, or monitor clinical activities and patient outcomes.
  • The provider did not have a clinical governance framework or risk management system. The leadership structure was vague and senior staff had a fundamental lack of understanding of risk.

However:

  • Patients reported high levels of satisfaction with the service.
  • Staff provided consistent follow-up care after treatment and worked with patients to meet their expectations.

Following the inspection, we took immediate action to suspend all regulatory activity at the provider for three weeks. In addition, we placed the provider in Special Measures.

Services placed in special measures will be inspected again within 6 months. If insufficient improvements have been made such that there remains a rating of inadequate overall or for any key question or core service, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures to begin the process of preventing the provider from operating the service. This will lead to cancelling their registration or to varying the terms of their registration within 6 months if they do not improve. The service will be kept under review and, if needed, could be escalated to urgent enforcement action. Where necessary another inspection will be conducted within a further 6 months, and if there is not enough improvement, we will move to close the service by adopting our proposal to vary the provider’s registration to remove this location or cancel the provider’s registration.