Archived: Consultant Eye Surgeons Partnership (South Thames) LLP

People we spoke with said ''I had plenty of time to talk to the consultant before my operation. Everything was explained to me.'' People told us they felt confident in the service provided. Although one person told us they had received an explanation about arrangements required to ensure a safe discharge home we were not able to see any evidence of information provided about this aspect of care.

Medicines were clearly prescribed and people received them at the specified times. People received information about how to safely administer their own eye drops after discharge home.

People's health and welfare needs were met by staff that were appropriately qualified. We saw evidence that staff were registered with the relevant professional body and that appropriate pre-employment checks had been completed.

We saw that staff attended regular conferences and seminars relevant to their speciality to ensure continuing professional development. We saw that staff had received an annual appraisal.

The provider had systems in place to deal with comments and complaints. This included providing people with information about the system when first using the service.

People who had used the service told us, 'I'm very happy with the service I received.' Another said of their treatment procedure, 'It went extremely well.'

People using the service were informed of the treatment options available to them, and the potential risks and complications associated with the treatment. This enabled them to give informed consent to their treatment.

People were provided with consultations before and after surgery. This ensured they had all the information they required to prepare for treatment and manage their care at home after being discharged.

The ward areas and consultation rooms were seen to be visibly clean and people were happy with the standards of cleanliness in the treatment rooms.

Staff were well supported and the consultants were continuing with their professional development to stay up-to-date with developments within their field.

There were systems in place to monitor the effectiveness of the service and liaise with the NHS Trust who provided the facilities, equipment and support staff required to undertake treatment.