CQC approval of Thames Valley Vasectomy Services
CQC, the “Care Quality Commission” is the regulator for all medical services including Minor Surgery and Vasectomy Services. Thames Valley Vasectomy Services was last visited in October 2018.
Full copy of the CQC approval for TVVS
Click here for evidence of the excellent feedback the CQC gave the service.
Find below a few snippets of what the CQC said about TVVS
Kindness, respect and compassion
Staff treated patients with kindness, respect and
compassion.
• Feedback from patients was positive about the way staff
treat people.
• Staff understood patients’ personal, cultural, social and
religious needs.
• The service gave patients timely support and
information.
The service offered patient feedback through a “real time”
online survey. The results could be seen in real time and
any patient comments or suggestions considered. The
figures were regularly collated and reviewed. In the year to
October 2018 patient feedback was highly positive:
• 99% of patients felt the service was good or very good
for listening and alleviating fears. This was comparable
to the previous year’s results of 100%.
• 100% of patients said they felt the quality of the nursing
aftercare was good or very good.
• 99% of patients felt the environment was friendly and
warm. The figures from 2017 were also 99%.
• 98% of patients responding said they would
recommend the service.
We received 14 online responses and 49 comments cards
as part of this inspection. which were all positive about the
service. Patients commented on how helpful, professional
and caring all the staff were. Comments included how the
staff were skilled at helping patients relax and putting them
at ease. Many patients told us they had been kept informed
throughout and had the opportunity to ask questions.
Patient comments received by the service aligned with
these views.
Involvement in decisions about care and treatment
Staff helped patients to be involved in decisions about care
and treatment. They were aware of the Accessible
Information Standard (a requirement to make sure that
patients and their carers can access and understand the
information that they are given.)
• Staff communicated with people in a way that they
could understand and had access to a variety of
communication materials. We were shown an example
where a patient with a sensory impairment was offered
information in a format suitable for their needs.
• The service proactively identified patients who needed
additional support. For example, a GP referral had
identified a patient had a sensory impairment which
was highlighted by the administration staff to the
service clinical team, so they could offer additional
support and ensure suitable communication
arrangements were in place.
• Comment cards and feedback we received reflected
patients felt involved in decisions about their care and
treatment. We were told the service was informative and
helpful and offered explanations that were easy to
understand.
• The service offered suitable time to patients to decide
about having a vasectomy. If a patient was uncertain at
any time up to the point of the procedure, they could
ask not to proceed or make another appointment. The
service encouraged patients to discuss the procedure
with their partners/spouses who were also invited to
accompany the patient through the procedure itself.