A COSMETIC surgery in Truro has been told it needs to improve and was rated ‘Inadequate’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after its latest inspection.

The Be Younger Cosmetics Clinic in Truro was visited by inspectors from the CQC in March of this year and its report has been published this month detailing how significant improvements are needed after rating it ‘Inadequate’ overall.

This was the first time the CQC had inspected the service and explained that it had rated the service inadequate due to a number of factors, including:

  • Managers did not make sure staff were competent. The service did not have processes to monitor the professional registration of nursing staff working at the service.
  • They did not have processes to provide assurance that staff had up to date training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well.
  • Information required to support safe recruitment of new staff was not all collected and in line with legislation.
  • Medicines were not always managed safely, and the service did not have a policy for antimicrobial prescribing.
  • The service did not control infection risk well.
  • Governance processes were not effective to demonstrate oversight of patient safety and outcomes and risks were not captured.
  • There were no written documents to show evidence-based care.
  • Leaders did not have the necessary knowledge, skills or abilities to run the service. Leaders did not operate effective governance processes throughout the service.
  • Staff did not use systems to manage performance effectively. They did not identify, review or manage risks and issues effectively.
  • Information about how to make a complaint was not available on the service’s website.

However, inspectors also noted that:

  • People could access the service when they needed it. The service planned and took account of patients’ individual needs. Staff were focussed on the needs of the patients receiving care.
  • The service engaged well with patients and gave them contact details to provide 24/7 support if required.
  • Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions.
  • 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, and had access to good information.
  • The service planned care to meet the needs of local people and made it easy for people to give feedback.
  • Staff felt respected, supported and valued. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities.

According to the CQC’s inspection report: “We carried out a comprehensive inspection of Be Younger Cosmetics Limited, as part of our inspection programme. We inspected all our key questions: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. This was our first inspection of the service.

“Following the inspection, the provider was served a warning notice under Section 29 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, requiring them to make significant improvements to the design of the location, governance processes and employment processes.

“After the inspection the provider sent assurances they were resolving the issues within the breaches and told us they would suspend their regulated activities until these had been rectified.

“This was the first time we inspected the service.”

The Packet contacted the clinic for comment but it declined to do so.