Archived: Clinical Diagnostic Services

Updated 25 May 2023

Clinical Diagnostic Services (CDS) at Harley Street is operated by Clinical Diagnostic Services LLP. CDS operates ultrasound services across two locations Harley Street, London and Elstree, Hertfordshire.

The service at Harley Street currently consisted of one scanning and consultation room with ultrasound machines, an office and a shared reception area and waiting room. The service is co-located with other independent healthcare providers.

The service offers advanced ultrasound scanning and transvaginal scanning covering several specialties including general gynaecology and women’s healthcare, fertility managements and scanning related to In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), early pregnancy assessments and prenatal screening. They also offer general medical ultrasound scans. The service mainly saw adults, although they saw some under 18’s, but only with a parent or guardian present.

We previously inspected the diagnostic imaging services at Clinical Diagnostic Service at Harley Street using our comprehensive inspection methodology in October 2018 and September 2021. During the inspection in 2021, we found there were several areas which required improvement. As a result, requirement notices were issued for Regulations 11, 12 and 17. The purpose of this follow up inspection was to check if the required actions had been taken by the provider.

We carried out this focussed inspection on 28 March 2023, of our safe and well led key lines of enquiry.

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.

Updated 25 May 2023

• 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 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.
• Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. 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.
• 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. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services.

Updated 2 December 2021

Our rating of this service stayed the same. We rated it as requires improvement because:

See the summary above for details.

Updated 25 May 2023

Our rating of this location improved. We rated it as good because:

• The service had made the required improvements and was led by a suitably skilled practitioner.
• Policies and procedures which guided safe and effective practice were relevant to the service and had control measures to ensure they were up to date.
• Medicines were appropriately prescribed or administered safely.
• They had set up a reliable governance system, in which risks were fully considered as part of regular meetings.