Archived: Berkshire Imaging

Updated 23 August 2022

Berkshire Imaging is situated in Reading Berkshire and provides a service to self-pay and privately funded patients. They do not treat NHS patients. Berkshire Imaging operates in the ground of the Royal Berkshire hospital under a service level agreement. The service is consultant led and there is a team of 23 consultant radiologists who also worked at the local NHS trust. The service offered appointments for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and Computed Tomography (CT). Berkshire Imaging does not provide a service for people under 16 years. The service operates on Saturdays only.

The provider is currently registered to provide the following regulated activity.

• Diagnostic and screening procedures.

Under these regulated activities the service provided:

CT scans

MRI scans.

The service had a registered manager in post at the time of the inspection.

Our inspection was unannounced (staff did not know we were coming). This is the first time we have inspected this service.

Updated 23 August 2022

We rated it as requires improvement because:

• The process for accessing emergency equipment was not effective and may cause delay in an emergency.
• The service did not have an anaphylactic kit in the scanner unit for timely access and treatment should patients have an adverse reaction to contrasts used as part some scans.
• There was a lack of continuous audits to provide assurance and monitor the service provision. Although some audits had been developed following our feedback post- inspection.
• Policies and procedures were not always reviewed in a timely manner, as we found some had expired.
• The patient group direction that allows healthcare professionals to administer certain medicines without the need to see a prescriber had expired.
• The compliance for staff training was low and the system for monitoring staff training compliance has now been developed.
• There was no staff surveys undertaken to gain staff feedback about the care and services they were providing.
• The overall governance of the service was not fully developed, and the provider could not be fully assured that all systems and processes were working effectively to keep patients safe.

However.

• The patient’s environments were safe, clean and well maintained.
• The service followed good practice with respect to safeguarding.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and understood their individual needs. They involved patients and families and carers in care decision.
• The service always had enough staff and staff were supported to undertake training as part of their roles and development. Managers ensured staff received an appraisal of their work. The staff worked well together as a multidisciplinary team.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment.
• The service currently operated on Saturdays only, however patients were offered appointments at other local services according to their needs.
• Staff engaged in some clinical audit to evaluate the quality of care they provided.
• The staff were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and staff were committed to improving services.

Updated 23 August 2022