Poole PET-CT Centre

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

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

This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

We have not awarded this service a score for Responsive.

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

The service made usually sure patients were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with patients, how to respond to any relevant changes in patient’s needs.

The service had systems to help care for patients in need of additional support or specialist intervention. For example, staff made sure patients living with mental health needs, learning disabilities or dementia, received the necessary care to meet their needs. All staff in the service had completed training in dementia awareness. Additionally, the service had an accessibility box available to support patients with additional accessibility requirements. This included aids such as non-verbal prompt cards, glasses with differing prescriptions, a communication board, easy grip pens and a shoehorn.

The service provided PET-CT scans performed by specialist staff on 6 days a week.

Facilities and premises were appropriate for the services being delivered. The environment was appropriate, and patient centred. The waiting room was a good size and seating was available for the number of patients and relatives attending the clinic.

Managers made sure staff, and patients, families and carers could get help from interpreters or signers when needed. A mobile hearing loop system was available to support patients with hearing loss.

The service had systems to help care for patients in need of additional support. For those patients coming from the inpatient wards, timing of scans was considered to support their other medical needs. For example, patients’ medicines and treatments were considered and appointments fitted around the needs of the patient as well as dietary needs including for diabetic patients where fasting was required. Information was gathered using a dedicated inpatient questionnaire.

Patients could request a chaperone, and information was displayed in the main corridor and available to patients.

The service understood the diverse health and care needs of patients and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

The service planned and provided care in ways which met the needs of local people, and the communities served. They worked with others in the wider system and local organisations to plan care where relevant. The service was open for appointments from 7.30am to 8.30pm Monday to Saturday. Patients told us this allowed for flexibility when arranging appointments.

Managers ensured that patients who did not attend appointments were contacted to make alternative arrangements. From January 2025 to December 2025 there were 27 appointments where the patient did not attend. This data was monitored centrally, and we saw the report also held specific information about why an appointment was missed. Managers explained if there was no obvious reason for the missed appointment, they would contact both the referrer and patient to seek to re-appoint the scan as soon as possible if it was still required.

The service usually supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

Information leaflets were available for patients. We reviewed the leaflet entitles ‘Positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) – A guide to your scan’. This information leaflet was sent to patients electronically or in paper format at the time of booking. The information included what the scan was, how to prepare for the scan and what to expect during and post scan. It could also be accessed via the Alliance Medical Limited (AML) website. The site also had a section for patients with frequently asked questions.

Specific guidance was provided to service users before appointments, which included contact details, hospital map and directions, consultants name and any information about fasting required. Where a patient’s first language was not English, translation services either by telephone or face to face were used. Staff told us relatives were never used to translate due to the complexity and safety of the scans.

Staff understood and applied the policy on meeting the information and communication needs of patients with a disability or sensory loss. For patients who were visually impaired, staff ensured an appropriate person would be able to read the safety questionnaire and consent questions and complete the form on the patient’s behalf. Additionally, emotional support animals (including guide and assistance dogs) were able to accompany individuals throughout their examination.

The service generally made it easy for patients to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved patients in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

The service and staff made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support.

The service confirmed they had not received any complaints in the 12 months leading up to the inspection. The last complaint received was in January 2023.

Patients were able to give feedback about their experiences of care and support, including how to raise any concerns or issues and could do so in a range of accessible ways. Leaders confirmed that people, their family, and carers could feel confident that if they complained, they would be taken seriously and treated compassionately.

The service had an in-date complaints and concerns policy stating the roles, responsibilities and processes for managing complaints. The registered manager was responsible for dealing with all complaints. Complaints would be initially responded to within two days by telephone or email depending on patient preference.

Patients could take any unresolved complaints to a third-party organisation or to the parliamentary ombudsman (NHS) or to an independent sector complaints service and this information was readily available.

Despite the lack of formal complaints, leaders could describe how learning from complaints and concerns is seen as an opportunity for improvement.

The service usually made sure that patients could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

The service scanned a total of 4,534 patients in the 12 month period from January 2025 to December 2025. A total of 27 (less than 1%) did not attend (DNA) their appointment.

Managers monitored waiting times. People could access the service when they needed to and received the right care promptly. Waiting times from referral to treatment and arrangements to admit, treat and discharge patients were in line with national standards (NHS patients via the choose and book). Where there were large waiting lists, these were monitored and reduced over time.

Managers worked to keep the number of cancellations to a minimum. When patients had their appointments cancelled at the last minute, managers made sure they were rearranged as soon as possible and within guidance. During the period January 2025 to December 2025 there were 428 cancelled appointments. A total of 335 cancellations (78%) were initiated by patients, including 87 occurrences where the patient was unwell. Other cancellation reasons included cancellation by the referring clinician or failure of transport.

Patients were offered a choice of appointments and appointments were available in other areas, to ensure patients were seen promptly. Two scans slot were held each day for urgent and re-arranged appointments. Administrative staff discussed capacity across the region. If it was not possible for a patient to be seen in Poole, they were allocated an appointment, with the patient’s agreement, in another centre.

Same day or next day appointments were available if needed. The patient was contacted by telephone to complete the booking process. Where reasonable, the next available appointment space was allocated. If needed, a longer working day was planned to meet demand.

Staff and leaders listened to information about patients who were most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

As a PET-CT diagnostic facility, the service did not provide a treatment outcome for patients. However, they ensured patients received the quickest appointments available and in the best location for them. The service monitored their effectiveness through both their Patient Satisfaction Survey and TAT (turnaround time) data. Patient satisfaction data provided shows 93.9% of responses marked as ‘Very Satisfied’ by those patients who completed the survey.

People who did not speak English as their first language could access the service in the same way as those who did. Managers made sure staff, and patients, families and carers could get help from interpreters or signers when needed. A mobile hearing loop system was available to support patients with hearing loss.

Patients were usually supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future.

As a PET-CT diagnostic facility, the service did not provide a treatment outcome for patients. However, patients were supported to make informed choices about their care and plan their future care, with the support and involvement of their family or carer if they wished.

Patients were provided with information about how they would receive results and from whom and any related follow up appointments.