InHealth Community Diagnostic Hub - Ealing

InHealth Ealing is operated by InHealth. The service provides diagnostic imaging services to the local community. It is a stand-alone purpose-built diagnostic screening facility.

InHealth was established 25 years ago to meet some of the health economy’s challenges – reducing waiting times, speeding up diagnoses, saving money, improving patient pathways and enhancing the overall patient experience. Efficiency models from manufacturing programmes were adapted to develop healthcare services focused on continuous quality improvement. The organisation was successful in winning contracts and has grown due to its access to capital for investment, its ability to design and adapt healthcare solutions to meet changing demands, demonstrate value for money and to work collaboratively with its NHS and private sector partners.

InHealth Ealing provides magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans for both NHS and private patients. DEXAuses a very small dose of ionising radiation to produce pictures of the inside of the body to measure bone loss (medical use), or body fat (composition scans only i.e. gyms). The service is registered with the CQC to undertake the regulated activities of diagnostic and screening procedures. The site provides a service for patients aged 16 and above. The site operates 6 days a week between the hours of 7am and 9pm and 8am to 8pm on the remaining day. 

InHealth Ealing also housed three clinical rooms which provided peripatetic routine ultrasound, physiological measurements,echocardiogram, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening which was managed by separate registered managers under a separate registration number. InHealth Ealing also comprised of an endoscopy unit which opened in 2015 and is located within the InHealth Integrated Diagnostics Centre suite and is delivered under a separate CQC registration. All services other than MRI, X-ray and DEXA at InHealth Ealing are provided on an ad-hoc basis by InHealth and managed by a separate registered manager employed by InHealth.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out the unannounced inspection on 27 February 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.

The main service provided by this centre was diagnostic imaging.

Services we rate

We rated InHealth Ealing as Good overall.

We found good practice in relation to diagnostic imaging:

• Staff received effective training in the safety systems, processes and practices.
• There were sufficient numbers of staff with the necessary skills, experience. Patients had their needs assessed and their care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with evidence-based guidance, standards and best practice and qualifications to meet patients’ needs.
• There was a programme of mandatory training which all staff completed, and systems for checking staff competencies.
• Equipment was maintained and serviced appropriately and the environment was visibly clean.
• There was evidence of regular team meetings.
• Staff were caring, kind and engaged with patients.
• We observed a focused and individual approach to patient care.
• Scans were timely, effective and reported promptly.
• Information about the needs of the local population was used to inform how services were planned and delivered.
• Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and integrity needed, both when they were appointed, and on an ongoing basis.
• Staff understood and were invested in the vision and values of the organisation.
• Risks were identified, assessed and mitigated. Performance was monitored and performance information was used to make improvements.

Nigel Acheson

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals