Baba Scans

Updated 17 January 2023

Baba Scan is an independent baby scanning service in Rochdale offering 2D reassurance scans, 2D foetal gender scans, 3D/4D foetal bonding scans and 3D/4D HD live scans. They do not replace ultrasound scans provided by the NHS.

The service was registered for the following regulated activities:

• Diagnostic and Screening

At the time of our inspection the service was run by the owner, who carried out all the scans and a joint owner who acted as the administrator and receptionist.

The service did not offer non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). This is a blood test offered to women who may be carrying a baby identified from previous screening tests as having a higher chance of having either Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome, or Patau’s syndrome.

The service did not administer or store controlled medicines.

The service has not previously been inspected but had been operating since 2015 before registering with the care quality commission (CQC) in 2019.

There was a registered manager in post who was the owner and sonographer for the service.

The service was open: Monday – Friday : 11am - 3pm and from 10am to 2pm on a Saturday, with more appointments available on request.

From January 2022 to the date of our inspection, the service had carried out 835 scans.

Updated 17 January 2023

We had not inspected this service before. We rated it as requires improvement because:

• Staff had training in key skills but staff had not updated their mandatory training.
• The service did not control infection risk well.
• The service did not always assess risks to women and act on them.
• The privacy and dignity of women was not always maintained.
• Leaders operated governance processes but there was no formal governance framework in place and there were gaps in the system for reviewing policies and procedures. Governance processes could be improved by having a written strategy and ensuring that all policies and procedures were reviewed within their review date.

However:

• The service had enough staff to care for women and keep them safe, understood how to protect women from abuse, and managed safety well. Staff kept good care records. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
• Staff provided good care and treatment. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of women and supported them to make decisions about their care.
• Staff treated women with compassion and kindness, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to women, families and carers.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of women’s individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it.
• Leaders ran services using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of women receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with women and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services.

Updated 17 January 2023

See the overall summary above