The Care Quality Commission
  • Hospital
  • Independent hospital

Queen Square Imaging Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR

Provided and run by:
Q.S. Enterprises Limited

All Inspections

During an assessment of Diagnostic imaging

The service was observed to be clean, well-organised and equipped with modern imaging technology, including a 3T MRI scanner and a GE Revolution EVO CT scanner. Staff demonstrated competence and confidence in their roles, and patients reported positive experiences, including feeling safe and well cared for. Patients were supported with additional time and adjustments when required.

The service operated under a block contract with the NHS. NHS patients were scheduled to be seen monthly, and patients had access to same-day appointments when needed. Turnaround times for reporting were monitored.

Governance structures were in place, including a board that met bi-monthly and included senior charity representatives. However, there were gaps in assurance around practising privileges and Disclosure and Barring Service verification, which are required under national guidance. Risk assessments and a risk register were maintained and reviewed. The service had achieved the United Kingdom Accreditation Service’s (UKAS) accreditation and maintained a business continuity plan.

Staff training compliance was high among locally employed staff, and competency frameworks were in place. However, radiologists worked under practising privileges, with Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and mandatory training managed by the NHS trust; the provider did not hold direct evidence of these checks.

Overall, the service demonstrated strengths in patient care, staff competence, and partnership working, but required improvements in governance assurance and environmental safety.

During an assessment of the hospital overall

Queen Square Imaging Centre (QSIC) is a diagnostic imaging service operated by Q.S. Enterprises Limited, a subsidiary of the University College London Hospitals (UCLH) Charity. The service provides magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) imaging to both NHS and private patients. It is co-located with the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and benefits from close operational links with the trust.

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of diagnostic imaging services on 24 October 2025. We inspected all five key questions: safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led.

The service was previously inspected in October 2018 and rated as ‘requires improvement’. During this assessment, the overall rating improved to ‘good’. The domains of safe and well-led changed from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’, while effective, caring, and responsive remained ‘good’.

How we carried out the inspection: The inspection team included a CQC inspector and a specialist advisor. The team spent time on site at the registered location and reviewed evidence submitted by the provider. We interviewed leaders and spoke with staff, including radiographers and radiologists. We reviewed clinical records, policies, audits, risk registers, and governance documentation. We also spoke with patients using the service and reviewed their feedback. Further details on our inspection approach are available on the CQC website.

22 October 2018

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Queen Square Imaging Centre is operated by QS Enterprises Ltd. The service provides Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) diagnostic services to young people and adults.

We inspected the MRI diagnostic facilities using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out an unannounced visit to the location on 22 October 2018.

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.

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

The main service provided by Queen Square Imaging Centre was MRI scanning.

Services we rate

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

We found the following issues the provider needed to improve:

  • The service did not have robust policies, procedures and processes in place to ensure children were protected from abuse and improper treatment.
  • Staff kept themselves, equipment and the premises clean, but hand hygiene compliance was variable
  • The service did not always follow best practice when prescribing, giving and storing medicines.
  • The service had suitable premises and equipment, however the process for checking equipment was not robust.
  • Staff recognised incidents and reported them. However, the service had two systems for reporting incidents but it was not clear how learning from these, was shared or how practice was reviewed.
  • The service did not reference the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance or other national guidelines in policies procedures and guidelines. The service had an audit schedule but there was no formal peer review audit undertaken by Queen Square Imaging Centre or follow-up where areas of non-compliance were identified.
  • The service’s consent policy did not reference how staff should seek consent from children and young people under the age of 18 years of age.
  • The service treated concerns and complaints seriously but Information on complaints was not available at the service or easily assessible on the provider’s website.
  • The service did not have effective systems for identifying risks, planning to eliminate or reduce them.
  • There was no systematic programme of clinical audit to monitor quality or systems to identify where action should be taken.

However, we also found the following areas of good practise.

  • The service provided mandatory training in key skills to staff.
  • Staff completed risk assessments for each patient.
  • The service made sure all staff were competent for their roles.
  • All staff worked well together as a team to benefit patients.
  • Staff treated patients with compassion. Feedback from patients confirmed that staff treated them well and with kindness.
  • Staff provided emotional support to patients to minimise their distress.
  • Staff involved patients and those close to them about their care and treatment.
  • The service was planned and designed to meet the needs of the patients as it gave them access to timely scans.
  • The service took account of patients’ individual needs.
  • People could access the service when they needed it.
  • Staff understood the vision and strategy of the service. Staff felt supported and were positive about their leaders.
  • There were plans to extend the service and ensure sustainability

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 and South)