Virgin Care Services

Updated 17 December 2021

Virgin Care Services are contracted to provide specialist sexual health services across North and North East Lincolnshire to adults and young people aged 13 years and over. This includes the provision for both contraception and Genito-urinary medicine services.

The provider is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide the following regulated activities:

• Treatment of disease, disorder and or injury.
• Diagnostic and Screening Procedures.
• Family Planning.
• Transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely.

The service, which has a registered manager, operates from two locations:

• Sterling Medical Centre, Grimsby. North East Lincolnshire.
• The Ironstone Centre, Scunthorpe. North Lincolnshire.

The service had previously been inspected as part of a provider led Virgin Care inspection in 2017. This is the first inspection of this service at location level.

What people who use the service say

We spoke with eight current patients during our inspection and reviewed feedback from 934 patients for the 12 months prior to the inspection. Patients who used the service gave overwhelmingly positive comments. They said the service was professional and friendly, that they were given respect and not judged, and that staff gave them information and the time needed to make informed choices.

We spoke with three carers who accompany patients to their appointments. They told us that staff took measures to put the patients at ease, and considered their individual needs when providing information and care.

Updated 17 December 2021

We rated this location as outstanding because:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents and learned lessons from them. Staff ensured premises were clean and well maintained and staff followed infection prevention procedures to keep patients safe.
• Staff provided high quality care and treatment. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and all staff were actively engaged in activities to improve quality and outcomes. Managers made sure the continued development of staff’s skills, competence and knowledge was integral to ensuring high quality care. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information. Staff were committed to working collaboratively with external organisations and groups to deliver more joined up care to benefit people using the service.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness. They truly valued people as individuals and empowered patients as partners in their care, both practically and emotionally. Feedback from people who used the service was continually positive. They thought that staff went the extra mile and that the care and support they received exceeded their expectations. Staff consistently embedded consideration of people’s privacy and dignity into everything they did including awareness of any specific needs.
• The service tailored care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment. Staff took a proactive approach to understanding the needs and preferences of different groups of people; they delivered the care in a way that met those needs and promoted equality.
• The leadership, governance and culture were used to drive and improve the delivery of high-quality person-centred care. Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

Updated 17 December 2021