The Lighthouse Clinic

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.