Ness Aesthetics Clinic

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

We found safety was a top priority, and the clinician who owned the service took all concerns seriously. They investigated all reported incidents to reduce the likelihood of them happening again. The clinician supported people to live healthy lives and provided them with support and information on their care and treatment. They ensured lessons were learnt to identify and embed good practices. The clinician managed medicines safely and in a way which met people's needs. They ensured medicines and treatments were administered safely and made sure clinic areas were clean and well maintained. The clinician wore personal protective equipment where required.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People had positive experiences of using this service. They said the clinician was knowledgeable in all aspects of the treatment they provided and gave clear information about each treatment.

The clinician who owned the service was able to talk confidently about the treatments offered. They used nationally accredited training and revisited this regularly to ensure they were up to date. Incidents investigated and people informed if this affected their treatment.

The clinician who owned the service had policies and procedures in place for monitoring incidents. As the service was provided by a lone clinician, they had linked with another similar service to share learning and good practice.

People told us they were confident they would be referred onto appropriate services if this was required after attending Ness Aesthetics. The potential for onward referrals was discussed as part of pre-treatment consultations.

The clinician who owned the service referred people to other professionals such as their GP if they had a medical condition or required a different kind of treatment to those offered in the clinic. For example, the treatment of Rosacea which is a long-term skin condition that mainly affects the face.

We did not receive any feedback from partners, but the clinician who owned the service showed us evidence of the people and organisations they worked with. The score for this quality statement is based on this evidence.

The clinician had systems and processes in place to ensure referrals were made in a timely way. This was discussed with the person receiving treatment and actioned in a timely way.

The clinician had received suitable training for safeguarding adults and children. They knew who to contact if they needed further guidance or to make a referral. People were asked not to bring children to the clinic where possible.

The clinician who owned the service had a robust system in place for reporting safeguarding to keep people safe from harm. They requested confirmation of age for anyone who appeared to be under the age of 18 before providing treatment. They had received training in how to recognise domestic abuse and coercive behaviour and refused treatment to people who had issues with body image or wanted treatment for short term reasons. For example, weight loss injections in advance of a holiday.

People said the risks of the procedure they were having was fully explained before it went ahead. The clinician discussed all possible risks and recorded this in each person’s notes. People were given time to consider if they wanted the treatment to go ahead. People were given aftercare information, and the clinician completed a follow up to anyone who had a medical procedure.

The clinician gave examples of discussing risks with people and the possible outcomes from treatment. They spent time talking to people to ensure they fully understood the risks.

The clinician who owned the service had policies in place for each medical procedure they offered. This covered potential risks and how to discuss these with patients. They were clear about the reasons for providing the treatment and when this would be refused. The clinician was trained in basic life support and the clinic was equipped to manage medical emergencies.

The clinician had the annex next to their home converted into a clinical area. They liked that they could offer treatment in a spacious area in a pleasant environment. The clinician was a lone worker but had a small and trusted client base. Access to the clinic was through automatic gates which were operated remotely by the clinician. If needed help was available in the house next door.

The service was based in an annex next to the clinician’s home. It had purpose-built clinic rooms, a small reception, a kitchen and toilet facilities. It was visibly clean and tidy with a professional and welcoming layout for people using the service.

The clinician who owned the service had effective arrangements to monitor the safety and upkeep of the premises. They ensured regular medical and electrical equipment testing took place. Clinic rooms had adequate ventilation to prevent the risk of infection during procedures.

People were complimentary about the clinician and valued the advice, guidance and treatment they received. They felt the clinician had a high level of knowledge about the treatments they provided. People liked being able to see the clinicians training certificates which were displayed in the reception.

The clinician who owned the service was the only person working in the service. They ensured they kept their training up to date and took every opportunity to take on further training so they could provide the best levels of treatment.

The clinician who owned the service had policies in place for if they decided to recruit additional staff in the future.

People had no concerns about the cleanliness of the clinic. They said the clinic rooms were clean, and the clinician wore gloves and aprons when appropriate to do so.

The clinician who owned the service was trained in infection prevention and control (IPC). They knew their roles and responsibilities for IPC.

We observed the premises to be visibly clean and tidy and the clinician was following IPC guidance. All clinic areas had appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and hand gel available.

The clinician who owned the service ensured there was an effective approach to assessing and managing the risk of infection. A policy was in place which was in line with current relevant national guidance. The clinician had no recorded incidents of clinical site infection. Processes were in place for the removal and collection of clinical waste and a daily cleaning record was kept in the clinical areas.

People were fully informed about the treatment they were receiving and said the clinician explained in detail the medicines being used.

The clinician who owned the service managed medicines well. They were knowledgeable about the different types of medicines being used. The clinician explained how different types of treatment worked. For example, injections for weight loss treatment. The clinician completed relevant checks before treatment was started including body mass index for weight loss. They took initial photographs and recorded these on the case records so people could see the progress they were making and ensured people knew how to administer the treatment themselves if they were continuing the treatment at home.

We observed the clinic areas and found medicines were stored safely. The clinician completed regular checks of fridge temperatures and emergency medicines and knew the procedures to use if they found an issue such as an out-of-date item. They ensured medicines were in date and replaced when necessary. When a medicine was used the batch number and dose were recorded in the patient notes. All medicines were ordered from suppliers in small batches to avoid waste.

The clinician who owned the service had policies and procedures in place for the management of medicines. Prescriptions were issued electronically and sent straight to the pharmacy to be dispensed.