Wythenshawe Cardiac MRI Centre is operated by Allied Medical Limited. The service provides magnetic resonance imaging diagnostic scans and computed tomography scans on an outpatient basis. Facilities include two magnetic resonance imaging scanning rooms, and scanner control room, a computed tomography scan room with control room, patient preparation areas, patient changing rooms with toilet facilities, storage and equipment room and administration offices.

The service provides diagnostic imaging to adults. We inspected the service under our independent single speciality diagnostic imaging framework, using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out a short notice announced inspection on 14 November 2018.

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.

We found good practice in relation to diagnostic imaging:

• The service managed patient safety incidents well. Staff knew what constituted an incident and could demonstrate how to use the electronic reporting system. We saw evidence that the centre was staffed with enough staff, who had the appropriate skills, experience and training to keep patients safe and to meet their needs. Patients completed a patient assessment form to identify any patient risks and these were reviewed and checked by staff before the magnetic resonance imaging diagnostics scan or computed tomography scan took place. Pre- assessment areas were clean, maintained and comfortable. Staff followed the corporate policy for waste management processes. Waste was appropriately labelled and segregated. However, we saw a medicine cupboard was left open with keys in it and left unattended.

• The service used evidence based practice and followed a range of recognised guidance, protocols and regulation. The service participated in local and corporate audits to evidence the effectiveness of using evidence based practice. Staff were skilled and competent in their roles and kept up to date with their professional practice. Staff understood their responsibilities regarding patient consent and the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect. They were kind and compassionate when caring for patients. We saw that staff worked especially hard to make the patient experience as pleasant as possible. They recognised that patients were anxious and responded by reassuring them and keeping them informed.

• The centre had planned their service to meet the needs of service users and external organisations they worked closely with. The centre met the needs of patients using the service including patients with learning disabilities or with claustrophobia. Facilities were appropriate, and patient areas ensured privacy and dignity. The service offered a seven-day service to ensure patients could access appointments at a time that suited them. However, staff did not always inform patients or relatives of delays or when the clinic was running late. The service had no outstanding complaints at the time of inspection.

• The leadership was visible and approachable, staff felt comfortable to raise concerns with managers. The service vision was aligned to the vision and values of the provider and host hospital. The service had appropriate governance structures. Senior managers used performance data to identify, mitigate and learn from incidents. However, the service did not have a formal system in place to monitor local risks. We raised this with the manager who acknowledged our concerns and said that this would be raised at a corporate level.

Ellen Armistead

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (North)

We visited the Wythenshawe Cardiac MRI Centre and during our visit talked with two people who used the service and a doctor who was a cardiologist (heart specialist) employed at Wythenshawe Hospital who made referrals to the centre.

People were happy with the service provided. One person who used the service said: “The reception staff and all the staff are brilliant. I can’t knock it at all. There’s nothing I can change.” And the doctor told us: “Patients who comment are quite impressed and say it was a pleasant environment and everything was explained well.”

We found that the service ensured that during their investigations people were treated with dignity and respect. We found that systems were in place that promoted people’s well-being and safety. We noted that equipment and machinery was well maintained and safe to use. We found that incidents, complaints and concerns were treated seriously and systems were in place to make sure the service learnt from these as appropriate.

During our inspection people told us that they were happy with the service they received from Wythenshawe Cardiac MRI Centre.

Comments included:

“Throughout the whole thing it’s all been lovely, all the staff, everything. I’ve been pleasantly surprised.”

And

“The staff have been brilliant all through; they’ve been courteous and attentive.”