Archived: Brighton Laser Clinic

Updated 9 July 2018

Brighton Laser Clinic is a private clinic providing minor surgical and aesthetic cosmetic dermatology treatments. The service is one of eight locations operating under the corporate provider trading as Laser and Skin Clinics and based in Brighton, Hove and Worthing. A second location, Brighton Laser and Skin Clinic, which is part of the same corporate provider operates from the same premises and carries out services concurrently. Governance is provided by the corporate provider and includes practice policies, protocols and governance. Procedures offered include the surgical removal of moles, skin tags, cysts and other non-cancerous skin growths which account for around 6% of the treatment episodes. The following aesthetic cosmetic treatments are also provided and are exempt by law from CQC regulation: laser hair removal; thread vein removal; tattoo removal; anti-wrinkle injections and fillers; laser skin treatment and microdermabrasion. Around 1% of the people receiving treatment are transgender patients referred by the NHS for laser hair removal.

This report concerns only the treatment of minor surgery in dermatology and not the aesthetic cosmetic services.

The provider address is:

Brighton Laser Clinic

56a Marine Parade

Brighton

East Sussex

BN2 1PN

The surgery is open from Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. There are evening clinics on Wednesdays and once a month on Thursdays from 5pm to 8pm as well as a monthly weekend clinic on Saturdays from 9am to 12pm.

Registered services are provided predominantly by a lead GP who has a specialist interest in dermatology and holds a diploma in dermatology and who is supported by a consultant dermatologist. The lead GP is also the practice manager. There is an additional GP with a specialist interest in dermatology, an aesthetic practitioner and two laser practitioners who deliver the aesthetic cosmetic services. There are two receptionists and an administrator.

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Brighton Laser Clinic on 10 May 2018. Our inspection team was led by a CQC lead inspector and evidence was reviewed by a GP specialist adviser. Before visiting, we reviewed a range of information we hold about the

service. Prior to the inspection we reviewed the information provided from pre-inspection information request.

During our visit we:

• Spoke with the provider and clinical and support staff.
• Looked at equipment and rooms used when providing health assessments.
• Reviewed records and documents.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following five questions:

• Is it safe?

• Is it effective?

• Is it caring?

• Is it responsive to people’s needs?

• Is it well-led?

These questions therefore formed the framework for the areas we looked at during the inspection.

Updated 9 July 2018

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 10 May 2018 to ask the service the following key questions; are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

We found that this service was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services effective?

We found that this service was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services caring?

We found that this service was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services responsive?

We found that this service was providing responsive care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services well-led?

We found that this service was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Brighton Laser Clinic is a private clinic providing minor surgery in dermatology. Procedures offered include the surgical removal of moles, skin tags, cysts and other non-cancerous skin growths. The service also provides the aesthetic cosmetic treatments for laser hair, thread vein and tattoo removal, anti-wrinkle injections and fillers, laser skin treatment and microdermabrasion.

This service is registered with CQC under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in respect of the provision of advice or treatment by, or under the supervision of, a medical practitioner. At Brighton Laser Clinic the aesthetic cosmetic treatments that are also provided are exempt by law from CQC regulation. Therefore we were only able to inspect the treatment of minor surgery in dermatology but not the aesthetic cosmetic services.

Dr Russell Emerson and Dr Fiona Emerson are the registered managers. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We received 29 comment cards from patients providing feedback about the service, all of which were very positive about the standard of care they received. The service was described as highly professional, friendly, helpful and organised.

Our key findings were:

• There was a system for reporting, recording, sharing and learning from safety.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• The treatment rooms were well organised and equipped, with good light and ventilation.
• The provider assessed patients according to appropriate guidance and standards.
• Staff maintained the necessary skills and competence to support the needs of patients. Staff were up to date with current guidelines.
• Risks to patients were well managed. For example, there were effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection.
• Medicines were stored safely.
• Systems were in place to deal with medical emergencies. Clinical staff were trained in basic life support and the provider had appropriate emergency equipment and medicines in place.
• Staff were kind, caring and put patients at their ease.
• Patients were provided with information about their health and with advice and guidance to support them to live healthier lives.
• The provider was aware of, and complied with, the requirements of the Duty of Candour.