The Care Quality Commission
  • Hospital
  • Independent hospital

Window To The Womb Stoke

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

220 Knutton Lane, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 6HF (01782) 497730

Provided and run by:
Baby Scans UK Ltd

All Inspections

During an assessment of Diagnostic and screening services

Over the last 12 months, Window To The Womb Stoke had seen 4214 people of which 3698 were pregnancy scans, 266 gynaecological scans, 218 blood tests, and 32 general scans.

We reviewed all quality statements for each key question for this assessment of Window To The Womb Stoke. We last inspected the service in 2021 under our old CQC framework when it was rated outstanding overall. At this inspection we have rated it as good overall.

During the visit we interviewed staff and leaders, observed scans, reviewed service records, spoke to 3 women and their families, and reviewed 4 women’s reports.

We refer to women in this report, but we recognise that some transgender men, non-binary people and people with variations in sex characteristics (VSC) or who are intersex may also use services and experience some of the same issues.

During an assessment of the hospital overall

Date of assessment 18 March 2026. The assessment commenced due to an aged rating and was a short notice announced inspection.

Window To The Womb Stoke provides ultrasound scans which include a health or wellbeing check designed to confirm that the pregnancy is developing as expected.

This assessment looked at diagnostic and screening services which we have rated as good in all domains.

In our assessment of the service we found the service had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty.

In our assessment of the service, we found that the service had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. The service supported women to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. The service was exceptional at treating women with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected women’s privacy and dignity. The service was exceptional in how they listened to and understood patient’s needs, views and wishes. The service had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance.

However

Some staff did not fully understand the concept of duty of candour. We raised this with the nominated individual during the inspection and following the inspection, leaders reissued the duty of candour policy to all staff to review and sign.

10 September 2021

During a routine inspection

Our rating of this location improved. We rated it as outstanding because:

  • The service had enough staff to care for women and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect women from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to women, acted on them and kept good care records. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them. Staff collected safety information and used it to improve the service.
  • Staff provided good care to women that was based on an ethos of continuous improvement and excellence. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of women, 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 flexibly.
  • Women were truly respected and valued as individuals. Staff empowered them as partners in their care, practically and emotionally, by delivering an exceptional and distinctive service.
  • The service planned care to meet the needs of people who used the service, took account of women’s 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 a diagnostic procedure.
  • 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 women who used the service. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with women to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.
  • The leadership, governance and culture were used to drive and improve the delivery of high-quality person-centered care. The leadership team actively sought opportunities for improvement and evidence-based development through specialist collaboration.

We last inspected the service in October 2019. We told the service it should act to improve the training of staff to make them aware of people living with mental health conditions, learning disabilities and autism. We asked the service to consider providing information in other languages to women on request. At this inspection, we found the registered manager had addressed both areas.

8 October 2019

During a routine inspection

Window to the Womb is operated by Baby Scans UK Ltd. The service provides diagnostic imaging for women aged 16 and above. It is registered to provide the regulated activity of diagnostic and screening procedures.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We gave the service 24 hours notice and carried out the announced inspection on 8 October 2019.

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.

Services we rate

We have not previously inspected this service. We rated it as Good overall.

The service had enough staff with the right qualifications, skills, training and experience to keep people safe from avoidable harm and to provide the right care.

Managers appraised staff’s work performance annually and checked to make sure staff had the right qualifications and professional registration for their roles.

Staff understood how to protect patients from abuse and the service worked well with other agencies to do so.

Women could access services and appointments in a way and a time that suited them. The service used technology innovatively to ensure women had timely access to ultrasound scans.

The service provided care and treatment based on national guidance.

Managers monitored the effectiveness of care and treatment and used the findings to improve them.

The service treated concerns and complaints seriously. If a complaint received the registered manager would complete a comprehensive investigation and share lessons learnt with all staff.

Staff were caring, compassionate, kind and engaged well with women and their families.

Staff worked well together, supported and respected each other.

Heidi Smoult

Chief Inspector of Hospitals (Central region)