- Independent hospital
Hartlepool MRI Unit
Assessment report published 28 September 2026
Contents
Ratings - Diagnostic and screening services
Our view of the service
Date of assessment 8 July 2026
We undertook an unannounced inspection, which means that staff did not know that we were coming. Two inspectors, and a specialist advisor with expertise in MRI carried out the inspection. The reason for the inspection was an aged rating. The service was last inspected in May 2019 and was rated good. The service remained rated good at this inspection.
The service operated seven days per week between the hours of 8am – 8pm and provided MRI scan examinations to the NHS and clinical commissioning groups and a small number of private patients. The service provided a wide range of routine and complex MRI scans, including liver, cervical, endometrial and breast imaging. A specialist cardiac scanning service was also provided on one day per week.
The service provided scans for children from the age of 7, young people and adults. Approximately 97% of scans provided were for NHS patients, and 3% were for private patients.
The unit is registered with the CQC to undertake the regulated activity of diagnostic and screening services.
People's experience of this service
We spoke with one patient on-site and received written feedback from an additional patient. We also reviewed the feedback from the friends and family survey. Patients told us that they received kind and compassionate care from the staff, and that they were provided with enough information to be able to give informed consent.