Lucy Jane's

Lucy Jane’s is operated by Lucy Jane’s Limited. Lucy Jane’s provides early pregnancy and keepsake scans to self-paying members of the public. The service carries out trans abdominal ultrasound scans, including 2D, 3D and 4D baby keepsake scans and gender scans. The service does not provide diagnostic scans.

The service is based in Colne Lancashire. Two staff work in the service on a part time basis. Both staff are directors of Lucy Jane’s limited and have additional employment outside of the service.

Diagnostic imaging services are provided from the scan studio, from premises situated on the main high street. Public transport services and car parking are available nearby. The studio has a waiting room and reception area, ultrasound scan room, toilet facilities and a staff kitchen area. We inspected diagnostic imaging services.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out a short announced visit to the service on 7 January 2020. We gave staff two working days’ notice that we were coming to inspect to ensure the availability of the registered manager, service users and staff.

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.

The main service provided by Lucy Jane’s was baby keepsake souvenir scanning.

Services we rate

We rated it as Good overall because:

• The service provided mandatory training in key skills for all staff and ensured everyone completed it.

• Staff understood how to protect patients from abuse and had completed safeguarding training in line with national safeguarding guidance.

• Staff identified risks for service users and signposted service users to NHS services, where any concerns were identified.

• The service used appropriate control measures to manage the risk of infection and ensured equipment was correctly maintained.

• The service provided care based on national guidance and evidence-based practice. The service ensured staff were competent for their roles.

• Staff treated service users with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and took account of their individual needs.

• Staff provided emotional support to patients, families and carers to minimise their distress.

• Service users could access the service at a time and in a way that suited their needs. The service took account of service users’ individual needs and preferences.

• The service treated concerns and complaints seriously, investigating these and identifying learning.

• Leaders operated effective governance processes throughout the service. Leaders supported each other and there was an open culture in the service, focussed on making improvements.

However:

• There were no handwashing facilities immediately within the scan room or toilet area; staff and people accessing the service used a nearby kitchen sink for handwashing.

• Staff frequently worked alone in the premises, leaving the main front and rear doors unlocked during scan appointments. We were told this was necessary due to Fire Safety Risk Assessment.

• The service did not identify a vision for what it wanted to achieve. Systems to identify and manage risks in the service were not clearly identified.

• The service did not have a system for identifying overall risks in the service, or actions to manage or mitigate any risks arising in the service.

Following this inspection, we told the provider that it should make other improvements, even though a regulation had not been breached, to help the service improve. Details are at the end of the report.

Ann Ford

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (North region)