Skyn Doctor

Updated 16 June 2023

Skyn Doctor is located within a modern, purpose-built GP practice in Moldgreen, approximately 1.3 miles from Huddersfield city centre. The service is located on the first floor, which is accessible by stairs and a lift. The clinic has 3 treatment rooms, a waiting room, and a toilet. There is onsite car-parking at the rear of the clinic.

Skyn Doctor registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in September 2022. The service provides a range of aesthetic and cosmetic services which are not within CQC scope of registration and some treatments that require CQC registration. Those which require CQC registration include the treatment of hyperhidrosis and bruxism, prescription medicines for weight management and skin conditions, such as ache, rosacea and psoriasis, and minor surgical procedures.

Services are available to children and adults aged over 16.

The service is provided by 2 general practitioners (GPs), both of whom are registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and 3 qualified level 3 therapists. They are supported by a clinic manager and 2 receptionists.

The service is registered with CQC to provide the following regulated activities:

• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury
• Services in slimming clinics
• Surgical procedures

The service is open on Monday from 10am to 8pm, Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 6pm and Saturday from 10am to 3pm.

How we inspected this service

Before the inspection, we asked the provider to send us information about the service. This was reviewed prior to the site visit.

We also reviewed information held by CQC on our internal systems.

During the inspection we spoke with the provider, reviewed documentation and records including clinical records.

We made observations of the premises, facilities and the services provided.

The provider described people using the service as “patients” so from here on in, this is how they will be referred to in the report.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following five questions:

• Is it safe?
• Is it effective?
• Is it caring?
• Is it responsive to people’s needs?
• Is it well-led?

These questions therefore formed the framework for the areas we looked at during the inspection.

Updated 16 June 2023

This service is rated as Good overall.

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Skyn Doctor on 6 June 2023. We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. The inspection was planned to check whether the service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. This was the first inspection of this provider since their registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

This provider is registered with CQC under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in respect of some, but not all, of the services it provides. There are some exemptions from regulation by CQC which relate to particular types of regulated activities and services and these are set out in Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Skyn Doctor provides a range of non-surgical aesthetic and cosmetic interventions, for example dermal fillers, which are not within the CQC scope of registration. Therefore, we did not inspect or report on these services. The services provided by Skyn Doctor which require CQC registration include the treatment of hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) and bruxism (excessive grinding, or clenching of the teeth and jaw), prescription medicines for weight management and skin conditions and minor surgical procedures, such as wart removal. At the time of our inspection the service had seen 12 patients for services which fell within CQC registration.

The service is led by a GP, who is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the CQC to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Our key findings were:

• There were systems and processes in place to keep people safe and safeguarded from abuse.
• The premises were clean and tidy and there was an effective system in place to manage infection prevention and control (IPC).
• There were systems in place to manage the safety of the premises.
• The service assessed needs and delivered care in line with relevant and current evidence-based guidance and standards.
• Staff kept up to date in their specialist field and had undertaken appropriate training.
• Feedback from patients about the service was positive.
• There was a clear governance framework which supported the delivery of quality care.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Implement clinical and prescribing audits to drive quality improvement.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

Chief Inspector of Hospitals and Interim Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services