Surrey Ultrasound Services

Updated 10 October 2018

Surrey Ultrasound Services is operated by Surrey Ultrasound Services Ltd.

The service is an independent healthcare provider that delivered ultrasound scanning clinics under contract for NHS patients. The service primarily serves the communities of Surrey. Their main activity is at their base at the Shadbolt Park House GP Surgery in Surrey, and services are also provided from 14 other GP practices and community hospital locations in the surrounding area. We visited Shadbolt Park House GP Surgery during our inspection.

The service registered with the CQC in 2012. The service had a registered manager in post. The registered manager was also a sonographer and had been in post since the company registered with the CQC.

The service was last inspected in 2013 under the previous CQC inspection methodology and met all five standards that it was measured against.

The service held two, non-obstetric and trans-vaginal contracts with local CCGs on behalf of the NHS. Ultrasound scans were carried out on an appointment basis, with no scans that involved injections, biopsies or drainage procedures performed.

The service treated both adults and children, but the majority of the patients seen by the service were adults.

Updated 10 October 2018

Surrey Ultrasound Services is operated under Surrey Ultrasound Services Ltd. The service registered with the CQC in 2012. It was last inspected in 2013 under the previous CQC inspection methodology and met all five standards that it was measured against.

We rated this service as good overall. We rated safe, effective, caring and responsive a good  and well led as requires improvement.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Staff had undertaken mandatory training specific to their roles. At the time of our inspection it was not clear whether all staff had been trained to a sufficient level of safeguarding children training, however following the inspection, we saw evidence that there was one member of staff who was level 3 trained, and the remaining clinical staff had signed up to complete this training also.
• Practice was evidence based and complied with national guidelines such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
• Staff were competent to do their role, and had opportunities for additional learning.
• Patient outcomes were followed up and monitored.
• Staff provided care in a compassionate and caring manner.
• Services were planned in a way that met the needs of patients.

However:

• There was no infection control policy or auditing of infection control practice. Staff were not bare below the elbows when scanning, and no hand hygiene or cleaning audits had been undertaken.
• Where risks had been identified, they did not always have an action or timescale for the action to be completed by.
• At the time of our inspection there was no risk register for the service although the service lead was able to articulate what they felt the key risks to the service were. Following the inspection, we were sent a risk register that had been commenced.

Following the inspection, we told the provider that it should make improvements, even though a regulation had not been breached, to help the service improve.

Amanda Stanford

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals

Updated 10 October 2018

Overall we rated diagnostic imaging as good.

This was because there were sufficient staff with the necessary skills and experience to provide the service in line with national guidance. Staff provided care in a compassionate way and feedback from patients was positive and individual needs were recognised and met.  Patients could access the service when needed and individual needs were recognised and catered for. However, there were some elements of governance that required formalising.