A Pudsey-based aesthetics clinic has invested over £500,000 in new premises, staff and equipment to become the first CQC-registered practice in the area.
Evolve Medical, at Dawsons Corner, has a team made up of qualified consultants, GPs, nurses and beauty therapists, headed up by registered nurse Rachel Green, who has over 20 years’ experience.
Rachel said a significant area of the aesthetics field is not regulated, for example councils regulate tattooing but not injectables, which performed incorrectly can cause significantly more harm to patients.
She said: “Ultimately, it’s all about the safety of patients. We want to provide an accessible service, but of the highest standard which CQC immediately demonstrates. I strongly believe that injectables should be brought under the regulations of CQC, to ensure the standards of patient safety.
“If the industry was regulated with CQC then standards would be the same across the UK, and so create a safer consumer experience stopping non-medical, non-qualified practitioners which would be a significant turning point for the industry. With no industry standards for aesthetic practitioners as well as clinics, how can safety be guaranteed?”
To achieve its ‘Good’ rating, Evolve Medical invested in equipment and training for staff.
All products that the clinic uses are sourced and prescribed by regulated pharmacies, whereas unregulated practitioners are able to source freely online. Rachel also travelled to Geneva to visit the sites where the products are made, to see the quality and care in production for herself.
She continued: “As a nurse or doctor, to be able to carry out treatments such as thread lifts you must be regulated by CQC. However, if you aren’t medical then you don’t – so in theory you could just practice from your own bedroom which seems insane. By becoming CQC registered we are making a clear commitment to being a safe, responsible and well-led clinic which puts its patients first.”
The only higher standard than ‘Good’ on the CQC rating system is ‘Outstanding’, and Evolve Medical’s current standard is described on the CQC website as ‘The service is performing well and meeting our expectations’.
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