An independent eye treatment service has been rated outstanding following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in June.
CQC inspected SpaMedica Preston, run by SpaMedica Ltd, and found a service where people benefitted from outstanding care.
The service carries out cataract surgery and laser eye treatment for adults referred from the NHS.
Following the inspection, the service was rated outstanding overall and for being responsive, caring and effective. It was rated good for being safe and well-led. This was the first inspection for the service.
Karen Knapton, CQC head of hospital inspection, said:
“When we inspected SpaMedica Preston, 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.
“Patients’ video stories were available to view on the website for patients to watch prior to their procedure providing reassurance and information to put them at ease.
“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. Clear drapes were offered to patients who suffered from claustrophobia and quiet rooms were offered to people who experienced anxiety due to noise.
“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 reported they had been fully supported and were not expected to undertake work alone until they felt confident.
“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
- The service supported patients when it was identified they may find it difficult to comply with post-operative eye drops and offered a one-off steroid injection
- The hospital consistently achieved better clinical outcomes for patients compared to similar services
- 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 positive
- Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work and were passionate about the values of ‘Every Patient, Every Time, No Excuses’
- The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them
- Staff were encouraged to put forward improvement ideas and were rewarded if they were used.