Thames Skin Clinic

Updated 21 December 2022

Thames Skin Clinic is an independent provider of medical services. The service provides face to face and online consultations, physical examinations, dermatology and slimming clinic services as well as some minor surgery. The service provides a broad range of aesthetic services, some of which are not regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), but some services that are, including thread vein removal and treatment of acne and rosacea . This report references only those services that are regulated by CQC. The provider offers consultations and/or treatment to both children and adults, mainly aged 14 and over.

Thames Skin Clinic is based at Thames Skin Clinic, 1-3 Baylis Mews, Twickenham TW1 3HQ. The service is for private fee-paying patients only, the service does not see NHS patients. The provider is registered with the CQC to deliver the regulated activities of Treatment of Disease, Disorder and Injury, Diagnostic and Screening Procedures, Surgical Procedures and Services in Slimming Clinics.

The service website can be accessed through the following link: https://www.thamesskin.co.uk/

The provider primarily provides services to patients in southwest London, with some international patients. The service is self-contained within a single premises, with all patients checking in at reception. The service has five clinical rooms, with a reception foyer, a patient waiting area and two non-clinical rooms used by staff.

The service operates on a Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 9am until 5.30pm, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9am to 7.30pm and on Saturdays from 9am to 4.30pm. The service does not provide a service outside of these hours and is closed on Sundays. Surgical procedures and the prescribing of medicines at the service is carried out by the clinical doctor. The service employs an aesthetic therapist, a practice manager and two part time reception staff who oversee appointments and administration for all patients.

How we inspected this service

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 21 December 2022

This service is rated as Good overall.

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of Thames Skin Clinic on 3 November 2022. This was the first CQC inspection of this location under the current CQC inspection methodology.

The registered manager is the medical director of the company. 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 in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

This service is registered with CQC under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in respect of some, but not all, of the services it provides. There are some exemptions from regulation by CQC which relate to particular types of regulated activities and services and these are set out in Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Thames Skin Clinic provides a range of surgical and non-surgical treatments, for example skin boosters, hydrafacials, skin peels, dermal filler, chemical peels, LED phototherapy, microneedling and electrolysis which are not within CQC scope of registration. Therefore, we did not inspect or report on these services.

Our key findings were:

• The service provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
• Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
• Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
• The service organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs. Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
• The way the service was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

Chief Inspector of Hospitals and Interim Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services