An independent eye treatment service has been rated outstanding following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in May.
CQC inspected SpaMedica Widnes, run by SpaMedica Ltd, and found a service where people benefitted from outstanding care.
The service carries out cataract surgery and laser eye treatments for adult patients referred from the NHS.
Following the inspection, the service was rated outstanding overall and for being responsive and effective. It was rated good for being safe, well-led and caring.
Karen Knapton, CQCs head of hospital inspection, said:
“When we inspected SpaMedica Widnes, we were extremely impressed by the level of care people received.
“Attending hospital for any kind of medical procedure can be daunting but staff put patients at ease immediately upon arrival, explained their treatment and were extremely caring, kind and respectful throughout their stay.
“We were impressed that the service actively supported people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act or those with complex needs. For example, patients with a learning disability or autistic people were offered additional visits before their procedure to help prepare them.
“We could see that all staff were happy in their jobs and enjoyed providing the best possible care for people. Existing staff felt supported and valued in their roles. New staff were buddied with a senior staff member and their induction included spending time at the service to gain an understanding of the patient experience.
“Feedback about the service was consistently positive and the whole team deserve to be congratulated for all their hard work and commitment.”
CQC inspectors found:
- People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment
- Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions
- Staff felt respected, supported and valued and were focused on the needs of patients receiving care
- Feedback from patients was consistently very positive
- Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service with outcomes that were consistently significantly better than the England average when compared to other services
- The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them
- Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care.