Wigan PET Centre

Ratings - Diagnostic imaging

• Overall

  Good

• Safe

  Good

• Effective

  Good

• Caring

  Good

• Responsive

  Good

• Well-led

  Good

Our view of the service

Wigan PET Centre was established in 2016 and is located on the site of a nearby NHS hospital in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The location is managed by Alliance Medical Limited and serves as a diagnostic imaging service for adult NHS patients. Patients are referred to the service from a specialist NHS trust, also in Greater Manchester.

Wigan PET Centre provides Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT) scans. This type of scan uses a radiotracer followed by 2 types of scans taken in sequence by one imaging machine. A radiotracer is a special type of medicine that is radioactive for a short time and is needed for the scan to work properly. At this location, PET-CT scans are typically used to find and assess different types of cancer.

The location is a purpose-built modular unit. It includes 1 PET-CT scanning room and adjoining control room, 4 private cubicle spaces (of which 3 are used clinically and 1 is used for storage), a secure radiopharmacy room, 2 toilets (of which 1 is for use by patients administered the radioactive tracer), a waiting room and reception area, an administration area, and a staff kitchen.

The service carried out PET-CT scans only. It did not manage patient waiting lists or report on scan results. These responsibilities remained with the specialist NHS trust that referred patients to the service.

We rated the service overall as good. Staff provided effective care and had the skills and experience needed to meet patients' needs. Patients spoke positively about the kindness and support they received. The service had good systems in place to make sure care was evidence-based and that safety was a priority for both patients and staff.

However, the service did not always collect enough feedback from patients and staff to be sure their views were fully listened to and acted on. Staff had completed training on learning disability and autism, but the training did not meet statutory requirements.

People's experience of this service

During the inspection, we spoke with 3 patients and family members about the care they received from the service. We also heard from 2 more patients after the inspection through CQC's Give Feedback on Care service.

We reviewed the patient feedback collected by the service during the month before the inspection. The service received 14 survey responses, which represented 4% of patients seen during that period. This was not enough feedback for the service to be sure that patient experiences were consistently positive.

All the patients we spoke with were very positive about the care they received. They told us staff provided care in an efficient and sensitive way. Patients described the service as "excellent" and said they "couldn't ask for more".

Patients also told us they were seen without unnecessary delays. They said staff asked how they could best support them during their care.