Archived: The Birth Company Limited

Updated 9 May 2019

This report relates to diagnostic imaging services provided by The Birth Company Ltd.

The Birth Company opened in 2000 operating from Harley Street in central London. The service advertises itself as providing a modern, spacious clinic, which provides a calm and relaxing environment as well as state-of-the-art scanning equipment providing the latest in ultrasound technology including 3d and 4d ultrasound scans. It is open Monday to Thursday from 8am until 8pm, Friday from 8am until 6pm, Saturday 9am until 4pm and Sunday 10am until 2pm.

It provides diagnostic pregnancy ultrasound services to self-funding women, who are pregnant and aged 18 years and above. Most ultrasound scans performed at The Birth Company are in addition to those provided through the NHS although some are private patients or from abroad.

The service has had a registered manager in post since October 2010. We inspected this service in July 2012 and was found to have met the five standards inspections, taken from the essential standards as described in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 and the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009.

Updated 9 May 2019

The Birth Company is operated by The Birth Company Limited. The service provides diagnostic pregnancy ultrasound services to self-funding pregnant women over the age of 18.

We inspected the diagnostic imaging facilities.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out a short notice inspection on 21 January 2019. We gave staff two working days’ notice that we were coming to inspect to ensure the availability of the registered manager and clinics.

To get to the heart of women’s 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.

Throughout the inspection, we took account of what people told us and how the provider understood and complied with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

The main service provided was ultrasound scanning.

Services we rate

This was the first inspection of this service. We rated it as Good overall.

We found good practice in relation to diagnostic imaging:

• There were sufficient numbers of staff with the necessary skills, experience and qualifications to meet women’s needs.

• There was a programme of mandatory training which all staff completed, and systems for checking staff competencies.

• Equipment was maintained and serviced appropriately and the environment was visibly clean.

• Records were up to date and complete and kept protected from unauthorised access.

• The service had implemented a programme of audits relating to patient outcomes

• Staff demonstrated a kind and caring approach to the women using the service and supported their emotional needs.

• Appointments were available during the evening, at weekends and at short notice if required.

• The service had supportive and competent managers. Staff understood the vision and values of the organisation.

However:

• The service had not conducted a hand hygiene audit.

• The service did not accurately collate all incidents to enable them to monitor trends. .

• Not all staff had received level two safeguarding children training, however staff understood their roles in relation to safeguarding.

• Sharps boxes did not adhere to the BS7320UN3291 standards in line with health and safety regulation 2013 (The sharps regulations).

Following this inspection, we told the provider that it should make other improvements, even though a regulation had not been breached, to help the service improve. Details are at the end of the report.

Dr Nigel Acheson

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (London & South East)

Updated 9 May 2019

The provision of ultrasound scanning services, which is classified under the diagnostic core service, was the only core service provided at The Birth Company.

We rated the service as good overall because it was safe, caring, responsive and well-led. Feedback from women and their families was positive. Women could access services and appointments in a way and at a time that suited them.