The Care Quality Commission
  • Hospital
  • Independent hospital

Lancashire Eye Clinic

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

9 Lowther Terrace, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, FY8 5QG (01253) 730302

Provided and run by:
The Lancashire Eye Clinic Limited

Important: The provider of this service changed - see old profile

All Inspections

13 November 2018

During a routine inspection

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)

19 September 2017

During a routine inspection

Lancashire Eye Clinic is operated by Lancashire Eye Clinic Limited. It is an independent ophthalmic clinic, located in Lytham St Anne’s, Lancashire, providing treatment and care for various eye conditions. The clinic offers a range of treatments and surgery for conditions such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy glaucoma, laser (non-refractive) and occulo-plastics (non-cosmetic).

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out the announced inspection on 19 September 2017.

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

We rated this Lancashire Eye Clinic as require improvement overall.

We found the following issues that the service provider needs to improve:

  • Many of the policies were not evidence based according to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. Polices were short and brief and did not provide staff with clear guidance, structures, processes and systems regarding service delivery.

  • There was no local or external system to benchmark or peer review processes to assess and monitor outcomes and review practice.

  • There was no formal governance framework to assess and monitor quality of care and mitigate risk.

  • The clinic did not have a patient inclusion and exclusion policy. This was up to the discretion of the surgeon and individual staff.

  • Staff at the clinic were not compliant with safeguarding training.

  • Staff did not undertake routine annual appraisals or supervision.

  • The clinic did not have a formal system to record and monitor training or highlight when staff were due training.

  • Staff did not take part in a staff survey.

  • There was no formal system in place to record and document safe disposal of expired drugs at the clinic.

  • Staff did not sign the medicines checklist on the arrival of ordered drugs from the local pharmacy.

  • Safeguarding systems and processes for vulnerable adults and children were not established effectively to investigate or protect patients from abuse and improper treatment.

  • Training was not provided for staff on the Mental Capacity Act.

  • Staff needed to increase their awareness and understanding of duty of candour.

  • There were no regular staff meetings to review and disseminate information and patient related issues to staff.

We found good practice in relation to surgical care:

  • The clinic was spacious, visibly clean and tidy. There had been no reported infections in the period April 2016 to March 2017.

  • For the same time period, there were no complaints, reported incidents or never events.

  • The clinic was well staffed. The clinic did not employ bank or agency staff. Theatre staff used at the clinic also held current posts at local acute trusts. All staff had worked at the clinic for many years.

  • Staff worked well together and were happy working at the clinic.

  • Access and flow of patients through clinic was good, there were no patients on a waiting list.

  • There was access to the building for patients with mobility difficulties, which was clearly accessible and appropriately signed.

  • Patient feedback was good.

We found good practice in relation to the outpatients and diagnostic service:

  • The clinic was able to allocate patient appointments in a timely manner.

  • We saw that patients were greeted by name on arrival at the clinic and patients were taken to the waiting areas by the staff.

Following this inspection, we told the provider that it should make other improvements, to help the service improve. We also issued the provider with two requirement notices. Details are at the end of the report.

Ellen Armistead

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (North Region)

5 August 2013

During a routine inspection

We spoke with the registered manager a staff member and patients who had received treatment at the clinic. This helped us to gain an overview of what people experienced at Lancashire Eye Clinic. No other staff were available at the time of the inspection.

During our inspection we looked at care, quality assurance and maintenance records and undertook a tour of the building. We also looked at ways the service sought views from people who received treatment at Lancashire Eye Clinic.

Comments we received from patients were positive about the way they were treated by staff and the consultant ophthalmic surgeon. They were satisfied with the care and support shown to them during the course of their treatment. Comments included, 'Really polite and reassuring which put me at ease.' Also, 'They were all very professional and I received excellent care whilst I was there.'

Patients told us they were consulted throughout the treatment stages and all options were discussed with them. Patients confirmed they gave their consent to any treatment undertaken by the surgeon.