Updated 12 August 2019
Kiwi Skin Limited is an independent provider of aesthetic medical services and treats adults over 18 in the City of London. Kiwi Skin Limited trades as Askinology and is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide the regulated activity of treatment of disease, disorder or injury. The regulated activities are provided at one location: 35 -36 Leadenhall Market, London, EC3V 1LR.
The registered manager is currently the General Service 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 in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the service is run.
The clinic is housed over four floors in leased premises in Leadenhall Market. Doctor consultations and treatment are carried out on the lower ground floor and a range of other aesthetic and cosmetic services are carried out on the lower ground and first floors. The reception and retail area are on the ground floor. The clinic is open between 10am and 8pm on Monday; 8am and 8pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 4pm on Saturday. During opening hours if the clinic is busy, clients are directed to an aesthetic response call handling service. Out of hours, the medical director oversees the service email account for urgent queries.
Regulated activities are provided for clients over 18. Regulated services offered at the clinic include consultations and treatment for dermatological conditions including acne and rosacea, including prescription skincare and chemical peels. The clinic also provides treatment for hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating). The clinic has over 4500 registered clients. Regulated activities make up approximately 1% of the clinics services.
The service also offers the following which are not covered under the scope of our registration and as such were not inspected or reported on:
- Mole and skin tag removal
- Facials
- Sclerotherapy
- Fat freezing
- Laser hair removal
- Microdermabrasion
- Cosmetic injectables
- Intense pulsed light
Services are provided by the medical director who is full time and a part time doctor who is also a GP trainee with a special interest in aesthetics. Administrative support is provided by a reception staff member and the service manager. The service employs three aesthetic therapists.
Before visiting, we reviewed a range of information we hold about the service and asked other organisations to share what they knew. During our visit we:
- Spoke with a range of clinical and non-clinical staff including GPs, service managers and administration staff.
- Reviewed an anonymised sample of the personal care or treatment records of patients.
- Reviewed service policies, procedures and other relevant documentation.
- Inspected the premises and equipment used by the service.
- Reviewed CQC comment cards completed by the service.
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.