Window To The Womb

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

This assessment focused on 1 quality statement across safe: infection and prevention control.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment we looked at 1 quality statement and the rating has remained good

We have not awarded this service a score for Safe.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Safe.

We did not look at Learning culture during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safe systems, pathways and transitions during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safeguarding during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Involving people to manage risks during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safe environments during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safe and effective staffing during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly.

The service had strengthened oversight of infection prevention and control since the last assessment, addressing the gaps we previously identified.

The service now had up-to-date infection prevention and control (IPC) policies and procedures. IPC level 2 training had been introduced and all staff in the clinic had completed it. Staff had good knowledge of infection control practices, and we observed signed and dated records confirming daily cleaning checks were completed. Sharps bins were stored correctly and used safely in line with the Department of Health and Social care (DHSC) Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 07/01 in relation to the safe management and disposal of healthcare waste.

Staff used equipment and control measures to protect patients, themselves, and others from infection. They kept equipment and the premises visibly clean. Staff cleaned equipment after patient contact and at the end of each working day. We saw checklists that confirmed cleaning had been completed. Ultrasound probes were cleaned with sanitising wipes after each scan, and the ultrasound machine was cleaned at the end of each day.

The clinic was visibly clean, free from clutter and had suitable furnishings which were clean and well-maintained. A daily cleaning checklist was completed and checked, and records confirmed that regular and deep cleaning schedules were completed within the last 6 months. Staff adhered to bare below the elbow protocols and had access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including gloves and aprons in a range of sizes in accordance with Health and Safety Executive requirements.

The clinic now had a dedicated Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) cupboard, which was securely locked. The service’s COSHH policy was in date, included safety protocols on hazardous substances, and had specified timescales for review. Staff had completed mandatory COSHH training.

We reviewed data of hand hygiene audits within the past 6 months which showed 100% compliance with hand hygiene standards amongst all staff employed at the clinic. We also saw that staff now had access to suitable handwashing facilities within immediate clinical areas.

We did not look at Medicines optimisation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.