Archived: Lincoln Leg Clinic Ltd

Updated 5 October 2021

Lincoln Leg Clinic is a small standalone independent community health service. It is located in Lincoln and operates from a single clinic base two days per week. The service has a registered manager who is a specialist nurse practitioner and who is the only person working at the clinic. There is a separate nominated individual.

The service offers wound care, treatment and management advice for specific leg problems primarily leg ulcers and Lymphoedema. Most patients who use the clinic come from the Lincolnshire area though there are patients who travel from further afield.

Data provided by the manager shows that since January 2021 the service has seen 56 patients, some are one off assessment patients and other patients are on the treatment pathway. The service currently sees 6 patients per week. There is no waiting list. The service does not offer home treatment.

Lincoln Leg Clinic registered with Care Quality Commission in September 2013 but has not previously been inspected. There has been no enforcement action taken against the clinic, and it has not flagged as a risk in any Care Quality Commission monitoring activity, except that it has not been inspected since registration.

What people who use the service say

We spoke with seven patients and two external professionals who knew the registered manager and the service.

All the patients we spoke with were complimentary of the service and the care they received there. All patients we spoke with had seen massive improvement in their health condition compared to previous mainstream treatments they had received. Everyone commented on how clean the clinic and the equipment were and how efficient, knowledgeable, approachable and organised the practitioner was.

Comments people made included:

“Exemplary practice in a scrupulously clean environment”.

“The practitioner saved my leg, when a consultant I had seen at the hospital told me I would need amputation”.

“The treatment was fantastic, the clinician was excellent, and the practitioner has enabled to return to work, and live life to the full again, well worth the 85-mile round trip.

Updated 5 October 2021

This service had not previously been inspected. We rated it as good because:

• While the service only had one practitioner, who was also the manager, this was enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. The practitioner had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The practitioner controlled infection risk well. The practitioner assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. The practitioner managed safety incidents well, learned lessons from them and collected safety information to improve the service.
• The practitioner provided good care, treatment and advice to help patients manage their health conditions themselves. The practitioner provided good aftercare advice and support to help patients remain well after discharge. The practitioner monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure the practitioner remained competent to deliver care in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The practitioner ensured patients had access to a wide range of related information and how to access other services as and when needed.
• The practitioner treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their health conditions. The practitioner provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.
• The practitioner planned 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 so they did not have to wait for treatment. Appointments were scheduled quickly at mutually convenient times.
• The management team, consisting of the practitioner and a nominated individual ran the service well using reliable information systems. They had a clear vision and values for the service and applied this in their day to day running of the clinic. The management team were focused on the needs of the patients receiving care and were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The practitioner engaged well with patients and worked flexibly with the wider care community to plan and manage services, they were committed to continual improvement of the service.

Updated 5 October 2021