Juliet Albert

Updated 27 September 2022

Some babies are born with the condition tongue tie, which has the medical name ankyloglossia. The fold of skin under the tongue that connects to the tongue to the bottom of the mouth is shorter than usual, which restricts the movement of the tongue. This can cause problems with feeding and the baby may not gain weight at the normal rate.

Some babies require a surgical intervention in order to release the tongue, which is known as a Frenulotomy or frenotomy. Frenulotomy services may be offered by the NHS or independent healthcare professionals such as doctors, dentists, or midwives.

The provider is a registered midwife who offers private tongue tie services to the community in North, West and Central London. The provider is qualified to provide frenulotomy divisions for babies up to the age of one year, however the provider only treats babies up to and including 5 months of age. Babies above 5 months or with complex anatomy that aren’t safe to treat in the home setting are referred to NHS or private ENT services.

The practitioner is a sole trader who provides the regulated activity. This will be their first CQC inspection since registration in 2019.

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

• Surgical procedures

In addition to frenulotomy, the provider offers baby feeding and lactation support which are not regulated by the CQC.

Updated 27 September 2022

This is the first time we inspected this service. We rated it as good because:

• The practitioner had training in key skills, understood how to protect babies and their primary carer from abuse, and managed safety well.
• Risk assessments were completed for all babies using an evidence-based standard assessment tool. The practitioner recognised risks to babies, acted on them and kept good care records.
• The practitioner adapted policies from published guidelines and personalised them for their own practice. The practitioner was competent in their role and used their experience as a registered midwife for additional skills and knowledge.
• According to feedback we received, the practitioner treated babies and their primary carer with compassion and kindness, took account of their individual needs, and helped primary carers understand the condition.
• The practitioner provided emotional support to primary carers. Primary carers could access the practitioner when they needed to and did not have to wait long for an assessment or treatment.
• The practitioner ensured that the consent process was understood and completed before procedures were carried out.
• Appointment times were flexible to suit the needs of primary carers and babies.
• The practitioner had the appropriate skills and knowledge to run the service. The practitioner was focused on the needs of the primary carer and babies receiving care.

However:

• The service did not have access to interpreters or signers.
• The service did not make it easy for service users to give feedback.

Updated 27 September 2022

This is the first time we inspected this service. We rated it as good. See the overall summary above for details.