People we spoke with during our inspection on 08 and 17 August 2012 told us that they had mixed experiences of the services. Everyone we spoke with who were attending the scheduled clinic told us they had received a letter, detailing what they needed to bring and some things to expect from the appointment, such as the application of eye drops and that the appointment may take a while. Most people we spoke with told us they hadn't been given any information on the day about how long they would have to wait to be seen; one person told us they had been waiting half an hour to be seen by the nurse, another had seen a nurse within half an hour, and had then waited over an hour to see the doctor.Most people told us they had been supported by staff at the clinic to understand the care and treatments available to them, with one person saying that staff had explained things clearly to them and another stating that they were told what the eye drops were for and what would happen. Other people we spoke with told us that staff had not been clear about their treatment and they weren't aware of future treatment plans.
People using the service reported mixed experiences about staff behaviour and attitude. A few people told us that some staff had been rude or abrupt. One person told us the nurse had told them 'not to be silly' and had felt this to be in a condescending manner. Over half of the people we spoke with told us they had experienced staff interrupting their consultation to speak with the nurse or doctor carrying out the consultation. Others told us that staff were polite and friendly, with one person saying, "The Doctor was very kind, he explained everything in simple English and answered all my questions.'
Five of the nine people we spoke with during our inspection in August 2012 told us they were happy with the care they received from the doctors and nurses at the clinic, whilst the others found staff unhelpful and had experienced waits of up to an hour and a half when at the clinic.
People we spoke with did not have any concerns about their safety at the clinic and most felt confident in the staff caring for them, although a few felt staff had not given them time to discuss, or provided clarity about their treatment. None of the people we spoke with had given feedback to the staff about the service and those who had felt the need to complain had not had their complaint dealt with in a supportive way. A couple of people had had difficulties with their records being lost or not including all the details about their care.