Archived: CuRx Operational Base

Updated 9 July 2021

The service is run by a private organisation named CuRx Health Ltd. The provider registered with CQC in 2017 to provide the regulated activities of treatment of disease disorder or injury, diagnostic and screening procedures, surgical procedures and family planning. At registration

these regulated activities were applied for and set up to support the provider when making bids for local NHS contracts which covered these activities.

At the time of inspection, the only regulated activity being carried out was diagnostic and screening. The provider delivered a number of remote ultrasound scanning service commissioned by local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The only registered location for the provider is the

CuRx Operational Base

The Mezzanine, Junction 21 Business Park,

Gorse Street,

Chadderton,

Oldham,

Lancashire,

OL9 9QH.

The service also operates from several satellite locations, including GP surgeries and health centres in Bolton, Bury, Huddersfield, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Staffordshire, Stockport, Tameside and Glossop, Walsall and Wigan. The opening times vary for each location.

Service level agreements are in place to support these arrangements. The ultrasound scans available include abdominal, hepato-biliary, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, pelvic – uterus, ovary and transvaginal scans.

In July 2020 the organisation started to offer a baby scan service known as VR Baby, this service is covered by the existing regulated actives and is located within the operational base.

Dr Muhammad A Ehsan, the managing director is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the CQC to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection to follow up on breaches of regulations.

How we inspected this service

Throughout the pandemic CQC has continued to regulate and respond to risk. However, taking into account the circumstances arising as a result of the pandemic, and in order to reduce risk, we have conducted our inspections differently.

This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site. This was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements.

This included:

• Requesting evidence from the provider before the inspection.
• Shorter site visits
• Remote interviews with staff via telephone or video call
• Reviewing a sample of audits.
• Asking the provider to share details with people using the service to give feedback on care via the CQC website.

During the inspection we visited the operational base, and two satellite locations.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following five questions:

• Is it safe?
• Is it effective?
• Is it caring?
• Is it responsive to people’s needs?
• Is it well-led?

These questions therefore formed the framework for the areas we looked at during the inspection.

Updated 9 July 2021

This service is rated as Good overall. (Previous inspection 08 2019 – Requires improvement overall including the safe and well-led domains)

The key questions are now rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at CuRx Operational Base to follow up on breaches of regulations.

CQC inspected the service on 29 August 2019 and we identified regulations that were not being met and the provider was told they must:

• Ensure patients are protected from abuse and improper treatment
• Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients.
• Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.
• Ensure recruitment procedures are established and operated effectively to ensure only fit and proper persons are employed.

There were also areas identified during the last inspection where the provider was recommended to make the following improvements:

• Review the availability of equipment in the practice to manage medical emergencies taking into account the guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK).
• Review the storage of cleaning materials and cleaning equipment.
• Review the audit arrangements for all sonographers including locums, to ensure an accurate sample of complex and uncomplex scan results are monitored regularly.
• An overall training matrix should be introduced to monitor staff training.
• Review the ways in which significant events are reviewed, investigated and reported.
• Review the information available to inform them that interpretation services are available for patients who did not have English as a first language.

We checked these areas as part of this comprehensive inspection and found improvements had been made to meet regulations.

During this inspection on the 10 June 2021 our key findings were:

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and system in place to report and record incidents.
• There were established governance and monitoring systems which were effectively applied and were fully understood by staff.
• There were systems and processes in place to safeguard patients from abuse and staff were able to access relevant training to keep patients safe.
• There was an infection prevention and control policy and procedures in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection.
• Effective recruitment procedures were in place and policies and procedures updated.
• Staff had access to training and system to monitor required training had been introduced.
• Clinicians assessed patients according to appropriate guidance and standards such as those issued by the Society and College of Radiographers and British Medical Ultrasound Society.
• Staff described how they respected patients’ privacy and dignity.
• Information about services and how to complain was available.
• All members of staff maintained the necessary skills and competence to support patients.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.
• Patient outcomes were evaluated, analysed and reviewed as part of quality improvement processes and clinical audit.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Review the staff required to complete safeguarding children training.
• Revisit with all staff how and when to access the interpretation service.
• Review how verbal references are documented in staff files.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care