Optical Express - Southampton (The Avenue) Clinic

Updated 5 November 2021

Optical Express - Southampton (The Avenue) Clinic is operated by Optical Express Limited. Optical Express Limited is a nationwide company that offers general optometric services which is outside the CQC scope of registration and refractive eye surgery and laser vision correction procedures for adults aged 18 years and above. We inspected the refractive eye surgery and laser vision correction procedures at this service. The service had equipment and arrangements to carry out these procedures under intravenous sedation, however most of the procedures were carried out under a local anaesthetic. The registered manager has been in post since April 2021.

Optical Express Limited is registered to carry out the following regulated activities from Optical Express- Southampton (The Avenue) Clinic:

• Diagnostic and screening procedures
• Surgical procedures
• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury

The service was last inspected in November 2017. At that time CQC did not have a legal duty to rate refractive eye surgery services. There were no requirement notices made at the time of the last inspection.

Updated 5 November 2021

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them. Staff collected safety information and used it to improve the service.
• Staff provided good care and treatment and gave patients pain relief when they needed it. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information. Support and advice for patients was available seven days a week.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for their planned procedures.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and all staff were committed to improving services.

Updated 5 November 2021

See the summary above for details.