Archived: Somerset MRI Centre

Updated 4 July 2022

Somerset MRI Centre is operated by Alliance Medical Limited (AML). The service opened in June 2000 and is a standalone purpose-built building located on the outskirts of Bridgwater.

The service provides magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services to patients referred by various sources such as consultants, local hospitals, GPs, osteopaths, chiropractors and physiotherapists. An MRI scanner produces images using powerful magnetic fields.

The centre is open five days a week Monday to Friday offering four clinical scanning days on Monday to Thursday from 8am to 6pm, with Friday being open for bookings from 8am to 4pm.

In October 2018, the centre underwent a full refurbishment and scanner upgrade in which a new MRI scanner was fitted.

The service has a registered manager who had been in post since February 2019. The unit manager is on site four days per week and fits this around the needs of the centre and clinical requirement.

We carried out an announced inspection on 12 May 2022. We rated it as Good overall.

Updated 4 July 2022

Our rating of this location stayed the same. We rated it as good because:

• 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. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
• Staff provided good care and treatment and gave patients enough to eat and drink if they needed it. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information. 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 and carers.
• 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. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

However:

• Staff training had not covered the risks to staff of accompanying patients during their scan.
• The service’s policy around referrals from non-medical sources needed to be updated and staff were not completing full checks on non-medical referrers.

Updated 4 July 2022

Our rating of this location stayed the same. We rated it as good because:

• 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. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
• Staff provided good care and treatment and gave patients enough to eat and drink if they needed it. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information. 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 and carers.
• 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. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

However:

• Staff training had not covered the risks to staff of accompanying patients during their scan.
• The service’s policy around referrals from non-medical sources needed to be updated and staff were not completing full checks on non-medical referrers.

Updated 11 October 2019

We rated this service as Good because it was safe, caring, responsive and well led. We do not rate effective for this type of service.