Archived: The Private Clinic

The Private Clinic is operated by The Private Clinic of Harley Street Limited. The clinic had been registered with CQC since 2016. The clinic provided cosmetic day surgery and plastic surgery related consultations for privately funded patients over the age of 18.

The two most frequent procedures undertaken at the location were hair transplant surgery and veins removal treatments carried out under local anaesthetics. Doctors at the location also consulted for other plastic surgery procedures, such as bunion removal, face, and breast surgery amongst others, that were undertaken at another hospital managed by the provider.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out the announced part of the inspection on 15 February 2022. We told the provider we intended to inspect on the day before the inspection took place to ensure that the clinic would be open on the day of our inspection and we would be able to observe surgical procedures and speak with patients. We carried out additional interviews and reviewed documents with the provider on 23 February 2022.

The main service provided by this clinic was surgery.

This service has not previously been rated. We rated it as good because:

• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and took account of their individual needs.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of their patients, they 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 long for treatment.
• 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.
• Staff provided good care and treatment, they provided patients with 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 with access to good information. Key services were available when required.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s 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.