Clear Ears Clinic Bedford

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

We looked for evidence that patients were protected from abuse and avoidable harm.

The service maintained a safe environment where patients were encouraged to speak up and share their views. There had been no accidents or incidents in the last 12 months, and the service had clear plans in place to investigate any issues that might arise. Staff had the right skills, qualifications and experience. Staff received training and regular appraisals to maintain high-quality care.

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 maintained a proactive culture of safety based on openness and honesty. Staff prioritised safety and followed a clear policy for managing significant events. Although no incidents had been recorded since the practice opened, the service demonstrated a clear understanding of the Duty of Candour. There were systems in place to identify, investigate, and report safety events if they occurred.

Patients felt supported to raise concerns and were treated with compassion when they did so. The service shared an example of a patient who raised a concern following treatment; this was thoroughly investigated, and a meeting was held to provide a full response. When issues were identified, staff apologised and offered immediate support to those affected.

The service used staff meetings attended by both sole clinician and director, to discuss clinical issues and learn from feedback. These lessons were used to improve care for future patients and ensure good practice was followed across the service. This approach ensured that learning from both complaints and potential incidents resulted in meaningful changes to how the service was run.

The service worked closely with patients to maintain a safe and reliable system of care. Staff ensured continuity of care by processing new patient information efficiently and completing appointments in a timely manner. When necessary, staff signposted patients to other services, such as general practitioners or Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Services. Staff were clear about their professional boundaries and ensured patients understood these roles when being referred elsewhere.

The service conducted regular risk assessments for all clinical areas and maintained up-to-date safety policies. Staff completed safeguarding and safety training relevant to their roles, ensuring they knew how to identify and report any concerns.

Staff focused on protecting people’s rights to live safely and free from harm, abuse, or discrimination. A full list of contact details for relevant authorities was maintained on-site. This enabled the service to act swiftly and transparently in reporting any concerns that may impact patient safety or service delivery.

Safeguarding policies were in place, and staff completed the necessary training to identify and report concerns. The service acted on these concerns by working in partnership with other organisations whenever required.

The service worked with patients to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. They provided care to meet patient’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled patients to do the things that mattered to them.

Patients received clear guidance on risks and were advised on the appropriate actions to take if symptoms worsened. This was reinforced by comprehensive aftercare leaflets to support self-management at home.

The service was aware of potential risks in the care environment and controlled them well. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.

The service detected and controlled potential risks in the environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. Emergency exits were clear, and the premises had smoke detectors, fire signage and fire extinguishers were all well maintained.

Systems were in place to demonstrate that the premises and equipment were safe for clinical use. The service maintained high standards of clinical governance through regular equipment servicing and the maintenance of relevant safety certification. Risk management was further strengthened by a monitored business continuity plan, ensuring that the service could respond effectively to unexpected disruptions whilst maintaining patient safety.

Clear Ears Clinic is a private ear microsuction service operated by a single, appropriately trained registered nurse. We saw evidence that all recommended training had been undertaken to provide the services being delivered in a safe way.

Relevant professional registration and revalidation with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) was up to date. Staff demonstrated a commitment to ongoing professional development by completing field specific clinical training and updates with the latest industry standards. Whilst current patients demand were met by the existing staffing levels, the service has an established recruitment policy and framework. This ensured that any future expansion of the team would be managed through safe and effective recruitment processes.

The service assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and always shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly.

Systems were in place for safe and effective Infection Prevention and Control (IPC). This included a cleaning schedule for the premises and equipment. Clinical waste was managed and disposed of safely. Additionally, the service ensured that all facilities and equipment were well-maintained according to the manufacturers' instructions to guarantee patient safety.

The clinic environment was clean and free of visible hazards. Staff had access to personal protective equipment (PPE), including eye protection and face masks. To ensure safety, single-use equipment was used as required and disposed of correctly. Clinical waste was kept in secure storage until it was collected by an external contractor.

Clear Ears Clinic is an independent health provider specialising exclusively in ear wax removal using microsuction. The service is focused solely on this procedure; therefore, staff do not provide clinical diagnoses or treat other medical conditions during appointments.

The service ensured care is delivered in line with current evidence-based practice. Patients are advised to use olive oil drops for several days before their procedure to soften wax, which facilitated more effective and comfortable treatment during micro suction.