InHealth Endoscopy Mobile Units

Updated 22 June 2023

InHealth Endoscopy Mobile Units is operated by InHealth Endoscopy Limited. At the time of our inspection, the service was operating 6 mobile units from different locations around the United Kingdom. Two of these units were based in Wales and 4 were in based in England. Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not regulate services which are located in Wales. The service’s head office is based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

InHealth Endoscopy Mobile Units are self-contained facilities, which include a dedicated reception area, procedure room, recovery room and decontamination and water treatment rooms. Mobile endoscopy units provide additional endoscopy capacity to support NHS waiting lists and can support hospitals through periods of refurbishment or equipment upgrades. The units are open 7 days a week between the hours of 8am and 6pm and treat adults over 18 years of age.

The service provides diagnostic gastroscopy, colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy and polypectomy. The service had undertaken 19,512 procedures between April 2022 and March 2023 across the whole fleet of mobile units.

InHealth Endoscopy Mobile Units provide the following regulated activities:

• Diagnostic and screening procedures
• Treatment of disease, disorder, or injury

The service has had a registered manager since it first registered with CQC in 2021. A registered manager is a person who has registered with CQC to manage the service. They have a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2008. As the service had expanded, the service had recently registered 3 registered managers with CQC to cover the service.

This was the first time the service had been inspected.

Updated 22 June 2023

This was the first time this service had been inspected. We rated it as good because:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service mostly controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
• Staff provided good care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink, and gave them pain relief when they needed it. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information. Key services were available to suit patients' needs.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.
• 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.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

However:

• The service did not always display signs to indicate the presence of medical gases and cleaning products, in line with Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) guidance.
• The service did not always have robust processes in place to manage and monitor storage of consumables.
• Not all staff followed good practice for infection prevention and control principles as some staff wore clinical scrubs to travel to and from work.

Updated 22 June 2023