Archived: The Central Clinic

This inspection was carried out after the Commission had received a complaint regarding the state of the premises from which the CASH clinic operates.

Managers of the service told us the premises they use were not owned or managed by CASH. Instead, the CASH clinic has been allowed use of the premises so that a sexual health service could be provided to an area deemed to be in need. Despite the building not being owned or managed by the CASH clinic, the law requires service providers, in this case CASH, to ensure the premises from which they operate to meet the relevant care standards.

Our inspection found evidence to substantiate and support the concerns which we received. For example, we found bin bags had been taped across the entire window in a clinic room and in another room computer cables were hanging above where patients sat.

The three patients we talked with spoke highly of the service. One person told us they thought the Central Clinic was a 'marvellous service' and that they felt 'in good hands'. Another patient said the service was 'brilliant'.

All patients we spoke with felt they were cared for in a confidential, dignified and respectful way.

The two staff we spoke with, on a one-to-one basis, described knowing of, or having personally gone through, a robust recruitment process. We saw a detailed recruitment policy and saw evidence of appropriate checks having been made as part of the recruitment process.

We saw that the clinical rooms were tidy and that improvements had been made regarding inflection control and how clean the premises were. One of the patients we spoke with described the clinic as being "hygiene conscious".

There was an up to date complaints process and we saw evidence that any complaints received were dealt with appropriately.

The people we spoke with were very happy with the care and treatment they received at the Central Clinic. People told us treatment and procedures were clearly explained to them before they gave consent. People said staff discussed both the risks and benefits about each treatment or procedure and that they were given opportunity to ask any questions. People found staff to be knowledgeable and could answer all their questions. One person said; 'Staff explain things to me. I can ask questions.' Another person told us; 'Staff talk through what is happening and explain every step.'

People were positive about the staff. One person said; 'The staff have been fantastic.' Another person told us; 'I feel listened to. The staff are lovely, polite and kind.' One person commented; 'I prefer to come here than go to the doctors.' Another person said; 'I would use this service again. It is better than my GP.'

People told us they were able to choose an appointment time to suit them. 'I rang for an appointment and got one straight away.' Another person said the appointment system 'is very flexible.' One person commented that the drop in sessions were busy and you never knew how long you would be waiting.