Paul Strickland Scanner Centre is an independent operator and is situated within the grounds of Mount Vernon Hospital site.

We carried out the unannounced inspection on 06 December 2018.

We inspected the diagnostic facilities for adults using our comprehensive inspection methodology.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we ask the same five questions of all services: are they safe, effective, caring, responsive to people's needs, and well-led? Where we have a legal duty to do so we rate services’ performance against each key question as outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate.

Throughout the inspection, we took account of what people told us and how the provider understood and complied with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

The main service provided was diagnostic services.

Services we rate

We rated it as good.

We found good practice in relation to diagnostic imaging:

• There were effective systems in use to keep people protected from avoidable harm. Staff were provided with safety related training, including safeguarding vulnerable people. There was access to professional guidance, policies and procedures to support their work.

• There were sufficient numbers of staff with the necessary skill, experience and qualifications to meet patients’ needs. Staff had access to additional development opportunities identified through their performance reviews.

• Equipment was maintained and serviced in line with expectations and medicines were managed safely. The environment was suitable, accessible and visibly clean. Staff followed infection prevention and control practices.

• Patient records and scans were complete, up to date and stored securely to avoid unauthorised access. Referral to scan times and scan to reporting times were within the agreed protocols and expected ranges.

• The staff worked well with both internal and external colleagues to ensure the delivery of a responsive service. Appointments were available at times convenient to patients including evening, weekends and at short notice.

• Staff considered the individual needs of patients using the service and were kind and caring towards them, respecting their dignity and emotional needs.

• The service acted on the feedback from patients and staff to continuously improve the service.

• The senior team had the right skills and experience to lead. They were supportive and led by example. Staff understood the vision and values of the service and the culture was positive, with staff showing pride in their work.

• Performance outcomes and risks were monitored and acted upon. Staff recognised and valued the importance of learning and continuous improvement.

However, we also found the following issues that the service should seek to improve:

• The provider should ensure that there is a formal audit process for ‘pause and check’, which is a process that encourages staff to check clinical details with the patient to reduce the risk of errors.

• The provider should ensure that the resuscitation equipment is checked each day the clinic is operational, including at weekends.

• The provider should ensure that there is a clear system of contrast agent stock rotation.

• The provider should fulfil their responsibilities under the Workforce Race Equality Standard.

Dr Nigel Acheson

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (London and South)

During our visit we spoke with two people who use the service and five staff. We also looked at feedback the service had received from people who had completed a survey about their experiences of using the service.

The majority of feedback from people who use the service was positive. Those we spoke with during our visit were very pleased with the service and one person commented “I can’t praise the staff highly enough”. They told us that they had attended the centre on a number of occasions, and each time were made to feel welcome and at ease. They said that they were given sufficient information prior to their appointment about what would happen and how to prepare for their scan. They said that when they arrived at the service the staff took time to explain what was going to happen to them during their scan. The feedback that the service had received from people was generally positive and any areas where people were not happy with the service had been identified and changes made to improve people’s experiences of the service.

There were a number of systems in place to monitor the cleanliness and hygiene of the service to ensure that risks of infection were controlled and minimised.

Staff were appropriately supported in their work and undertook relevant training and professional development to enable them to meet people’s needs.