Worcestershire Imaging Centre

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

We looked for evidence that patients were treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. We assessed the levels of patient’s privacy and dignity afforded to patients. We asked patients to tell us about their experiences, if they were respected, if they understood that their experience of how they were treated and supported mattered.

We also looked for evidence that every effort was made to take patient’s wishes into account and respect their choices, to achieve the best possible outcomes for them.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.

We have not awarded this service a score for Caring.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Caring.

The service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and took account of their individual needs. Staff introduced themselves to patients and explained their role. Staff were discreet and responsive when caring for patients. They took their time to interact with them and those close to them, in a respectful and considerate way.

Staff kept patient care and treatment confidential. They avoided holding private conversations over patients. Music was introduced into the waiting room to avoid patients being overheard when speaking at the reception desk.

We observed that staff were polite, friendly and engaged patients in appropriate conversation throughout the whole process.

Staff in the scanning room responded to patient’s anxieties about their procedure and took steps to reduce the stress within the environment. Music and headphones were provided, and patients were aware they could speak through an intercom system and could stop the scan at any point. Patients were able to have somebody familiar with them.

Patients had a changing room. Facilities including a locker that was available for patients to put their personal belongings into. In the scanning room patients were covered as far as possible and staff were respectful to the patients. Patients told us staff treated them with kindness and they, “couldn’t fault them”.

The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Staff understood and respected the personal, cultural, social, and religious needs of patients and how they may relate to care needs. For example, the service made reasonable adjustments to support patients individual needs. The service was wheelchair accessible, requests for same sex staff were met and they used interpreters when necessary.

Staff told us they had adjusted appointment times to suit patient’s needs, adjusted the duration of appointments and have arranged pre scan visits for anxious patients.

Written information was available in multiple languages and patients told us they knew how to complain.

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

For anxious patients, staff provided choice and control throughout their care. This included the use of a call bell, visiting the service before the scan date, bringing someone with them, and listening to music during the scan.

Staff provided examples where they had supported patients with complex needs, that prevented them from having a scan. For example, staff implemented a plan and made reasonable adjustments to support a patient to attend. The patient was offered a visit to the service with a mental health support worker before the scan date to alleviate their concerns. These adjustments and reassurance meant that the patient maintained independence and control and received their requested scan.

The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Individuals using mobility aids, such as walking frames, were supported to keep these outside the scanning room, following safety protocol, and were assisted appropriately following their scan. Patients who used wheelchairs were able to transfer safely into magnetic resonance (MR)-compatible wheelchairs where required.

Where specific requests had been made by patients, for a same sex health care professional, this was provided. Patients were offered an appointment when same sex health professionals were available.

Staff offered ongoing support, reassurance, and guidance to patients and their relatives when needed. They demonstrated empathy and understanding, recognising that the scanning environment could be stressful or anxiety-provoking for some individuals. Staff acted to minimise discomfort.

Patients told us their needs were responded to promptly, and during our observations staff were seen to be supportive and attentive.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff had access to resources and facilities for safe working. This included being able to take breaks.

Staff were able to provide feedback, raise concerns and suggest ways to improve the service or staff experiences. They were encouraged to make suggestions and felt confident that they would be looked at and actioned on. Staff were provided with feedback following any suggestion made.

Staff told us that they could access personalised support with extra supervision or training if required, and although not utilised currently, the registered manager had implemented a reasonable adjustment policy.

Staff appraisals included conversations about career development. Continual professional development sessions were accessed by staff, and the service was looking into medical secretary training at the member of staff’s request.

Staff told us that they felt valued and supported by their leaders and their colleagues, and they had opportunities to contribute to service development. For example, we saw documentation had been changed and recycling was introduced following suggestions from staff.

Managers debriefed and supported staff after any serious incident. For example, staff told us that after a patient became angry in the waiting room the situation was managed and support given to the member of staff.

Staff told us the small service felt like a family. Working closely together, including the registered manager working clinically, meant that issues or ideas were discussed throughout the day. Staff spoke kindly of the managing director.

We saw in the newsletter that social events were planned, birthdays were celebrated and that staff were thanked for their hard work.