The Lighthouse Clinic

Updated 8 March 2018

The Lighthouse Clinic is run by Lighthouse Medical Limited at one location at 62 Crocker Street, Newport, Isle Of Wight, PO30 5DA. 

The clinic is contracted to provide all NHS Dermatology services on  the Isle of Wight and also provide an independent Consultant-led Dermatology service. The clinic operating office hours are 0800-1830 Monday to Thursday, 0800-1700 Friday with varying evening and early morning appointments available during weekdays.

The inspection took place on 19 December 2017 and the inspection was led by a CQC inspector who had access to advice from a GP specialist advisor.

During our visit we:

•           Spoke with a range of staff including, the directors, the registered manager, the clinic manager, therapists and receptionists. We also spoke with patients who used the clinic.

•           Observed how patients were being cared for in the reception area.

•           Reviewed comment cards where patients and members of the public shared their views and experiences of the clinic.

•           Looked at information the clinic used to deliver care and treatment plans.

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 8 March 2018

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 19 December 2017 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.

The Lighthouse Clinic provides NHS Dermatology services for the Island’s community and evidence-based treatments for private clients. The clinic has a contract with the Isle of Wight Hospital Trust to provide dermatology services for hospital patients for the Isle of Wight until March 2019. The majority of patients are referred NHS patients. The clinical lead is the registered manager. 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

Feedback was provided by 56 patients about the service obtained through comment cards. All the feedback was positive and patients commented that they had received the very best care, provided in a caring and professional manner. Patients told us that they felt welcomed and safe and treated with compassion, respect and dignity.

Our key findings were:

•There was an open and transparent approach to safety and a system in place for reporting and recording significant events.

•The clinic had clearly defined and embedded systems to minimise any risks to client safety.

•Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance. Staff had received training to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment.

•Information about services and how to complain was available. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.

•There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The clinic proactively sought feedback from staff and clients, which it acted on.

•The provider was aware of the requirements of the duty of candour.

•The clinic encouraged a culture of openness and honesty. The clinic had systems for being aware of notifiable safety incidents and sharing the information with staff and ensuring appropriate action was taken.

•There was a focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels. Staff training was a priority and protected time for training was built into staff rotas.