Archived: National Slimming & Cosmetic Clinics

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 23 March 2018 to ask the service the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

We found that this service was not providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations

Are services effective?

We found that this service was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations

Are services caring?

We found that this service was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations

Are services responsive?

We found that this service was providing responsive care in accordance with the relevant regulations

Are services well-led?

We found that this service was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008. .

National Slimming and Cosmetic Clinics (Bristol) provides a private weight reduction service for adults and supplies medicines and dietary advice to the patients who use the service. The service operates from a clinic in the city centre. It is open from 10.00am to 1.30pm four days a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

This service is registered with CQC under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in respect of the provision of advice or treatment by, or under the supervision of, a medical practitioner, including the prescribing of medicines for the purposes of weight reduction. At National Slimming and Cosmetic Clinics (Bristol) the aesthetic cosmetic treatments that are also provided are exempt by law from CQC regulation.Therefore we were only able to inspect the treatment for weight reduction but not the aesthetic cosmetic services.

National Slimming and Cosmetic Clinics (Bristol) is one of a group of 27 clinics across the UK. The

service was staffed by one doctor, a manager and a receptionist. The manager was the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008

and associated regulations about how the service is run.

Patients completed CQC comment cards to tell us what they thought about the service. Thirty-three people provided feedback about the clinic. Patients told us the staff were caring and helpful, and were satisfied with the care and treatment they received at the service.

Our key findings were:

• The provider did not have effective systems and processes to check the knowledge and training of people employed by the service, or to appraise their performance during employment
• Patients were assessed and monitored before and during treatment, and were provided with support and information
• Feedback from patients was positive about the care and treatment they received at the service
• The provider had processes for reporting, learning, sharing and improving from incidents

We identified regulations that were not being met and the provider must:

• Ensure that recruitment procedures are established and operated effectively to ensure only fit and proper persons are employed

You can see full details of the regulations not being met at the end of this report.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:

• Only supply unlicensed medicines against valid special clinical needs of an individual patient where there is no suitable licensed medicine available
• Ensure that all information provided to patients, including verbal information, is accurate
• Review the ordering process for controlled drugs in line with changes in legislation
• Review the need for appraisals of clinical staff