sk:n Maidenhead

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 at Sk:n Maidenhead on 21 July 2022. The service was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in October 2020. We carried out this first rated inspection as part of our regulatory functions. The inspection was undertaken to check whether the service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Sk:n Maidenhead 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.

The service specialises in a combination of medical aesthetic treatments and anti-ageing medicine, as well as offering skin rejuvenation and a range of dermatology treatments. This service provides independent doctor-led dermatology services, offering a mix of regulated skin treatments and minor surgical procedures, as well as other non-regulated aesthetic treatments such as cosmetic anti-aging injections and dermal fillers which are not within CQC scope of registration. We did not inspect, or report on, those services that are outside the scope of registration.

Sk:n Maidenhead is registered with CQC to provide the following three regulated activities:

• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury
• Diagnostic and screening procedures
• Surgical procedures

At the time of our inspection, two clinic managers were the joint CQC 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 a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Our key findings were:

• The service had safety systems and processes in place to keep people safe. There were systems to identify, monitor and manage risks and to learn from incidents.
• There were regular reviews of the effectiveness of treatments, services, and procedures to ensure care and treatment was delivered in line with evidence-based guidelines.
• Staff treated patients with compassion, respect and kindness and involved them in decisions about their care. Patients were provided with information about their health and with advice and guidance to support them to live healthier lives
• Feedback from patients was consistently positive, feedback highlighted a strong person-centred culture.
• There was a clear strategy and vision for the service. The leadership and governance arrangements promoted good quality care.
• There was a focus on continuous improvement and improving safety within the sector. For example, the provider worked closely with the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) and contributed to the co-design of new standards.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care