Lancashire Eye Clinic

Updated 29 January 2019

Lancashire Eye Clinic is operated by Lancashire Eye Clinic Limited. The service opened in 2001. It is a private clinic in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. The service primarily serves the communities of the Lancashire and Fylde Coast area but also accepts patient referrals from outside this area.

The clinic has had a registered manager in post since April 2012.

We previously inspected the service in September 2017 and gave an overall rating of inadequate. This was because policies were not always evidence based and were short and brief, there was no formal governance framework, staff were not always up to date with training, medicines were not always managed properly and clinical outcomes were not always measured appropriately.

We took action by issuing requirement notices telling the provider they must make changes to improve the service. During this inspection we found that changes had been made and that sustained improvements were being maintained.

Updated 29 January 2019

Lancashire Eye Clinic is operated by Lancashire Eye Clinic Limited. It is an independent ophthalmic clinic which provides treatment for different eye conditions including cataracts and diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. It is situated in Lytham St Annes, on the Fylde Coast.

The clinic provides surgery and outpatient services for adults. We inspected these services using our new phase inspection methodology. We carried out a short notice announced inspection on 13 November 2018.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we ask the same five questions of all services: are they safe, effective, caring, responsive to people's needs, and well-led? Where we have a legal duty to do so we rate services’ performance against each key question as outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate.

Throughout the inspection, we took account of what people told us and how the provider understood and complied with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

The main services provided were surgery and outpatients. Where our findings on surgery, for example, management arrangements also apply to other services, we do not repeat the information but cross-refer to the surgery core service.

Services we rate

Our rating of this service improved. We rated it as Good overall. This was because:

• The service provided mandatory training in key skills to all staff and made sure they completed it which was an improvement following our last inspection.
• Following concerns identified in our previous inspection, staff now understood how to protect patients from abuse and had training in how to recognise and report it.
• The service controlled infection risk well.
• The service had suitable premises and equipment and following changes since the last inspection, looked after them well.
• Staff kept clear and up to date records of patients’ care and treatment.
• Following the last inspection, the service now followed best practice when prescribing, giving, recording and storing medicines.
• The service managed patient safety incidents well. Managers shared findings with the whole team.
• The service provided care and treatment based on national guidance.
• Staff gave patients enough food and drink to meet their needs.
• Staff used techniques to lessen pain and had additional pain relief to ease pain if necessary.
• Managers monitored the effectiveness of care and treatment and used the findings to improve them.
• The service made sure staff were competent in their roles and appraisal rates had improved since our last inspection.
• Staff of different kinds worked together as a team to benefit patients.
• Whilst surgery did not take place every day, the clinic was open each weekday with a telephone number available out of hours for urgent issues if required.
• Staff understood when and how patients should give consent to receive treatment.
• Staff cared for patients with compassion.
• Staff provided emotional support to patients to minimise their distress.
• Feedback from patients confirmed that staff treated them well and with kindness.
• The service planned and provided services in a way that met the needs of local people.
• The service took account of patients’ individual needs.
• People could access the service when they needed it. Waiting times were in line with good practice.
• The service treated concerns and complaints seriously with appropriate plans in place should any be received.
• Managers had the right skills and abilities to run a service and provide high quality care. Since our last inspection meetings were now held where staff could discuss issues, risks and outcomes.
• The service had a vision for what it wanted to achieve and workable plans to turn it into action with involvement from staff.
• Managers created a positive culture that supported and valued staff, creating a sense of common purpose based on a shared philosophy.
• Following our previous inspection where we identified concerns, the service now had systems in place to identify risks, plan to eliminate or reduce them and cope with the unexpected.
• The service collected, analysed and managed information well to support its activities using secure electronic systems.
• The service engaged well with patients, staff and local organisations to plan and manage services. This had improved since the previous inspection.
• Following this inspection, we told the provider that it should make improvements, even though a regulation had not been breached, to help the service improve.  Details are at the end of the report.

Ellen Armistead

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (North)

Updated 29 January 2019

We rated this service as good because it was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

The service had worked to make improvements since our last inspection and the issues we had identified had now been rectified.

Updated 29 January 2019

Surgery was the main activity of the service. Where our findings on surgery also apply to other services, we do not repeat the information but cross-refer to the surgery section.

We rated this service as good because it was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

The service had worked to make improvements since our last inspection and the issues we had identified had now been rectified.