Innovate Diagnostics

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

The service worked with patients to understand and manage risks. Care met patients' needs in a way which was safe and supportive and enabled them to do the things that mattered to them.

When people communicated their needs, emotions or distress, staff could manage this in a positive way which protects their rights and dignity and maximised learning for the future about the causes of their distress.

We looked for evidence that patients were treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. We assessed the levels of patients’ privacy and dignity afforded to patients. We asked patients to tell us about their experiences, if they were respected, if they understood that they and their experience of how they were treated and supported mattered. We also looked for evidence that every effort was made to take patients’ 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 remained as 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 patients with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Patients were treated with kindness, compassion, and respect. Feedback received by the service was consistently positive about the attitude and approach of staff. Patients described clinical staff as friendly, approachable, and professional, and praised the reception team for creating a welcoming environment. Feedback indicated that patients felt listened to, cared for, and supported throughout their time at the service.

Patients told the provider that staff took time to explain investigations clearly, including the purpose of the test, what it involved and what would happen during the appointment. Where appropriate, staff explained what they were assessing during the scan, helping patients to better understand their care and treatment. This supported patients to feel informed, reassured and involved in their care.

During our assessment, we also received positive feedback regarding the care provided by staff. Feedback indicated that patients felt supported throughout their appointments and valued the positive and professional manner of clinical staff. This demonstrated that staff treated people with dignity and respect and sought to provide a caring and person-centred experience.

The service treated patients as individuals and made sure patient’s care, support and treatment met patient’s needs and preferences. Staff took account of patient’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. The service told us that, following the inspection, identification badges had been issued to staff so that people using the service could readily identify members of the team.

We reviewed 10 patient records and found that care and assessment were tailored to people's individual needs and circumstances. The service supported people to make choices about their care and respected their preferences, including offering chaperones and accommodating requests for same-sex clinicians or staff where possible. Staff demonstrated an awareness of cultural diversity and told us they adapted their approach to meet the needs and preferences of people from different cultural backgrounds. 

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

During our inspection, we observed staff providing reassurance and emotional support to people throughout diagnostic procedures, including scans and cardiac stress testing. Staff kept patients informed about the progress of their examination, explaining how long they had been undergoing the procedure and providing updates on the estimated remaining time. People receiving scans had continuous one-to-one support from staff and, when waiting between procedures, remained in reception where a receptionist was present. Staff told us that diagnostic procedures could be stopped immediately at the person's request. These arrangements helped ensure patients felt supported, informed, and able to maintain control throughout their care and assessment. 

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

Patients could summon staff and there were emergency call bells sited close to patient assessment areas. People who used mobility aids such as wheelchairs, walking frames or crutches had them close by and were assisted to use them after their scan was completed. Staff gave patients and those close to them help, emotional support and advice when they needed it. They were empathetic and considerate of the stress of a scanning environment.

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 the resources and facilities they needed for safe working, including opportunities to take breaks. Clinical staff were able to select shifts they were willing to work, and staff told us this flexibility supported their wellbeing. Staff could provide feedback, raise concerns, and suggest improvements to the service or staff experience and told us they could expect a response. They said this was primarily achieved through group chats and face-to-face meetings. During our assessment, we observed a workforce that appeared content, calm and confident in delivering the service, which reflected the positive and supportive culture described by staff. The provider and local leaders ensured that staff with protected characteristics felt included and respected within the service.