Poole PET-CT Centre

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• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.

This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

We have not awarded this service a score for Caring.

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

The service always treated patient with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and took account of their individual needs. Staff introduced themselves to patients and explained their role. Staff were discreet and responsive when caring for patients. They took their time to interact with patients and those close to them in a respectful and considerate way. Staff avoided holding private conversations over patients.

Staff in the scanning room responded to patient’s anxieties about their procedure and took steps to reduce the stress within the environment. Patients who were particularly anxious or who had cognitive impairment were able to have somebody familiar with them.

In the scanning room patients were covered as far as possible and not unduly exposed. Staff were respectful to the patients. Patients said staff treated them well and with kindness.

Staff followed policy to keep patient care and treatment confidential.

The service treated patient as individuals and made sure patient’s care, support and treatment met patient’s needs and preferences. Staff took account of patient’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Staff gave patients help, emotional support and advice when they needed it. Patients we spoke to said staff had been helpful and supportive. Staff supported anxious patients by arranging for them to see the scanner before their appointment date. Patients could listen to music and wear eye masks to reduce stress during scans. Staff signposted patients with high anxiety to their GP for a low dose of sedative to take before their scans.

Staff supported patients who became distressed in an open environment and helped them maintain their privacy and dignity. Staff explained sometimes patients did not know if they were claustrophobic, so if a patient could not tolerate their scan, staff worked with them to either re-attempt the scan or to rebook and directed the patient to obtain mild sedation from their GP.

The service had systems to help care for patients in need of additional support or specialist intervention. The service held one slot per day to allow longer to scan those patients living with a learning disability or dementia.

The service promoted patient’s independence, so patient knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff made sure patients understood their care and treatment. All patients we spoke with said staff had explained care and treatment clearly. One patient said, “the staff were very friendly and were always checking on me”. Another patient said everyone was working together very well and the care received has been amazing. Staff could provide written information to patients in different languages and in large print.

Staff supported patients to make advanced and informed decisions about their care. Patients told us they were provided with a wide range of documentation to explain their treatment and we saw staff gained their consent and explained each procedure

The staff provided reassurance throughout the scan, they updated the patient on how long they had been in the scanner and how long was left. Patients had a panic button they could press any time during the scan to summon help. Staff could stop the scanning immediately if the patient requested this.

Earplugs were available which protected patients’ ears and helped to reduce the noise. For those patients demonstrating heightened anxiety, staff provide choice and control to patients, such as use of the call bell, trying the scan beforehand, bringing someone with them, and the use of music during the scan procedure.

The staff listened to and understood patient’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to patient’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

The centre specialised in PET-CT scans and staff ensured any specific concerns were addressed before scanning commenced. For example, how radioactive they would be and for how long.

Patients could summon staff and there were emergency call bells sited close to patient treatment areas and within cubicles.

People who used mobility aids such as walking frames or crutches had them close by and were assisted to use them after their scan was completed.

Staff gave patients and those close to them help, emotional support and advice when they needed it. They were empathetic and considerate of the stress of a scanning environment. For example, patients who suffered with claustrophobia could find the scan daunting. Patients were encouraged to visit their GP and obtain a prescription for a sedative. The staff liaised with the patient regarding the optimum time to take the sedative to correspond with the scan time. Additionally, staff told us they would invite patients into the scanner to see and lie in it before their actual appointment.

The service managed care of vulnerable service users by allowing a double appointment and therefore twice the time, for patients living with dementia or learning disabilities. For patients who required support from their carer, they were able to stay with the patient for the PET scan but not for the CT scan. However, the carer would be able to talk to the patient from the control room.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

The staff we spoke with during inspection were open and friendly and spoke positively about working at the unit. Staff told us they felt respected, supported and valued. Staff reported the leadership culture was inclusive and how they felt valued and respected. Relationships between staff of all grades were positive, with strong teamwork and collaboration.

Staff had access to resource and facilities for safe working. This included being able to take breaks.

Staff were able to provide feedback, raise concerns and suggest ways to improve the service or staff experiences and could expect a response. Staff had access to personalised support which recognised the diversity of a workforce with initiative-taking and reactive measures.