Ear Matters Exeter

Updated 24 November 2022

Ear Matters Exeter provides an ear microsuction service which operates out of clinic room in Holmedale Health, 34 Denmark Road, Exeter, EX1 1SE. We carried out a site visit as part of this inspection.

Ear Matters Exeter was registered with the Care Quality Commission in March 2022 to provide care and treatment under the regulated activity treatment of disease disorder or injury.

The service is provided mainly to adults but children over the age of 13 can be seen and treated. Approximately 30 to 40 patients per month attend the service.

The service is provided three days a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9am to 6pm. Additional evening or Saturday appointments and clinics are arranged when required.

Information regarding the service can be obtained from the services website; https://www.earmattersexeter.co.uk/

How we inspected this service

We gathered and reviewed information prior to and during the inspection which was obtained from the provider. We spoke with the registered manager and nominated individual and reviewed patient feedback which had been obtained 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.

Updated 24 November 2022

This service is rated as Good overall and this is the first inspection since the service registered.

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 a comprehensive inspection at Ear Matters Exeter as part of our inspection programme. Ear Matters Exeter provides an ear wax removal service using microsuction.

This service is registered with CQC under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in respect of the services it provides.

The service is provided by two registered nurses one of whom is the registered manager and the other the nominated individual. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission 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 service does not employ any other staff. For the purpose of this report we will refer to the nominated individual and registered manager as the ‘staff’.

The service operates from premises managed by another provider. Reception staff, who are not employed by Ear Matters Exeter, greet patients on their arrival to the clinic.

Our key findings were:

• The service had systems to manage risk, keep patients safe, and safeguarded from abuse.
• Patients’ electronic records provided detailed information regarding their care and treatment which was shared with appropriate clinicians when necessary.
• Care and treatment was delivered following current evidence based practice guidelines.
• Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to carry out their roles.
• Staff were kind and respectful to patients and provided information to enable them to be involved in decisions about their care and treatment.
• The service was organised to meet patients’ needs and responded positively to feedback from patients.
• The service had a clear vision and strategy to deliver high quality care.
• Staff were aware of their divided responsibilities to support good governance and management.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

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