A private cosmetic surgery hospital in Knowsley has been told it must improve after inspectors found out-of-date medicine, a clinic wall covered in damp and an extraction grill in a surgical theatre “visibly dusty.”
Problems with staff training were also identified following the first Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection carried out at ASET Hospital on Sandstone Drive in Whiston.
During the inspection in December 2022 at the private facility – which carries out cosmetic surgery and other procedures – CQC officials found no evidence of temperature checks being carried out and from a sample of medications, some were found to be “out of date and so were not safe to use.”
READ MORE: Woman funded life of Louis Vuitton handbags and foreign holidays by selling drugs
Problems with the management of medication were also observed, with an inspection report published last week noting that medicinal glue was observed in one medication fridge.
Completion rates for training, including around safeguarding, was “low” and in one module, only one in 10 staff had completed the required training, while others had higher completion rates. While examples of good and even outstanding practice were found at the hospital, including around the hospital’s approach to patient’s emotional wellbeing.
Caring and effectiveness of services were deemed good, but failings were found around safety, responsiveness to people’s needs and leadership. One of the issues identified was around infection control. While the report noted this seemed effective on the whole, there were some areas of specific concern.
In one clinical room, damp was visible on the wall and in a theatre where surgery was carried out, dust was seen on an air filter, presenting an “infection risk” to patients. Other issues were identified around record keeping, with some case notes lacking “key information.”
Concerns were also raised about the approach to individual patient needs, with the report noting: “arrangements for patients who required interpreter or communication support were limited.”
Patients were also not given sufficient information about how to raise complaints.
Inspectors noted issues around leadership and management. The report said: “Leaders did not always operate effective governance processes throughout the service or manage risks in the service.”
Listing five key improvements the service is required to make to comply with regulations and six further recommendations for good practice, the service was rated as “requires improvement” overall.
ASET Hospital was approached for comment.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
READ NEXT
Live court updates as man accused of stabbing his mum to death
Five words man told police after finding body one mile from where Nicola Bulley went missing
Nicola Bulley search expert Peter Faulding hits back at criticism as body found in river
