Babytobreast

Updated 8 August 2022

Babytobreast Ltd provides infant feeding advice and frenulotomy (tongue tie division) services to self-paying women and families living in Nottingham, Derbyshire, Birmingham and surrounding areas. The service accepts self-referrals for babies up to the age of one year.

The service has not previously been inspected. It was registered with CQC in April 2019. The registered manager is a registered midwife and is the sole staff member of the service. They are a member of the Royal College of Midwives, the Lactation Consultants of Great Britain, International Lactation Consultant Association and the Association of Tongue-Tie Practitioners.

The service delivers the regulated activity of surgical procedures by performing frenulotomy, often referred to as tongue-tie division. It involves dividing restrictive tissue under the tongue, so the baby can breast feed or artificially feed effectively. The registered manager is qualified to provide frenulotomy divisions and offers this from new-born to one year old. If a division is indicated in an older baby, the provider refers the case to the local NHS team direct or to the patient’s GP. In 2021, the service completed 1049 frenulotomy procedures. The procedure was performed in 85% of first appointments booked. The remaining 15% of activity was the provision of feeding support.

The provider offers consultations and procedures in clinics in three different geographical locations throughout the week. Clinics were delivered from the service registered address in Matlock, and also in Nottingham and Solihull. The provider also offers some home visits if required. All appointments are booked in advance and some out-of-hours appointments are available at the Peak District clinic. The service offers appointments Monday to Friday and booking is via the providers website through an automated booking facility. Appointments are a mixture of assessment for treatment and surgical divisions.

In addition to the frenulotomy service, the provider offers baby feeding services, which are not regulated by CQC.

Updated 8 August 2022

We have not previously inspected or rated this location. During this first inspection we rated it as good because:

• The service had suitably skilled staff to care for patients and keep them safe. The registered manager had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. The manager assessed risks to patients and mitigated them.
• The manager provided suitable care and treatment and monitored the effectiveness of the service. The manager worked well together with patients and supported them to make decisions about their care. They provided information which was easily accessible. Patient records were comprehensive and stored securely.
• The manager treated service users with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and helped them understand their baby’s condition. They provided emotional support to primary caregivers and their babies.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment.
• The registered manager was focused on the needs of patients receiving care. They were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with service users to gather feedback about their experience and the manager was committed to continually improving services.

However:

• The service did not have access to an interpreting service for people whose first language was not English.
• The registered manager did not have a strategy to support the achievement of the service’s vision and aims. A regular system of audit was not fully embedded within the service.

Updated 8 August 2022

We had not previously inspected or rated this service. Following this first inspection, we rated this service as good. See the summary above for details.