Venturi Cardiology

Updated 31 August 2023

The registered provider is Venturi Cardiology Limited.

Venturi Cardiology is based at:

740 Birchwood Boulevard
Birchwood
Warrington
WA3 7QU

Venturi Cardiology is registered to provide the regulated activities: Diagnostic and screening procedures and Treatment of disease, disorder or injury. Patients can attend for clinical consultation and assessment and if required a diagnostic test within one clinical visit.

Consultants are specialists in preventative cardiology care. Consultants recommend treatment and preventative strategies to patients.

There are four consultant cardiologists, three echocardiographers and nine radiographers (employed on a sessional basis). A health care assistant who also works as a receptionist and a business manager.

The service was registered with CQC in March 2021.

The service has on-site diagnostic equipment and is available to both privately insured and self funding patients. A service is provided to patients referred by the NHS subject to the terms of contract between Venturi Cardiology and NHS commissioning.

The service is provided to patients aged 18 years and over.

The website is https://www.venturicardiology.com

The service is open Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm. The service opens on Saturdays when required to provide flexibility to patients.

How we inspected this service

Prior to the inspection we reviewed information available to us from external stakeholders, information received by CQC about the operation of the service and we requested information from the provider. We carried out this inspection by:-

• Undertaking a site visit that included a tour of the premises.
• Interviewing staff.
• Observations.
• Reviewing patient feedback received by the provider.
• Reviewing information relating to the operation and management of the service.

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 31 August 2023

This service is rated as Good overall.

The key questions are 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 Venturi Cardiology as part of our inspection programme. The service has not been previously inspected.

Venturi Cardiology offers clinical consultation and a range of diagnostic tests for cardiovascular screening and cardiology care.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission 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 did not speak to any patients during the inspection but we reviewed feedback received by the provider from patients following their consultations. Feedback was positive and where feedback suggested improvements, changes were made.

Our key findings were:

• The provider had systems and processes for monitoring and managing risks and safety.
• Patients received clear information about the consultation process, diagnostic tests and costs which enabled them to make an informed decision.
• Patients were offered appointments at a time convenient to them and the outcome of consultations and tests were provided in a timely manner.
• Information about services and how to complain was available.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management and worked well together as a team.
• There was a clear strategy and vision for the service.
• The leadership and governance arrangements promoted good quality care.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Check emergency equipment and medication weekly as recommended by the Resuscitation Council UK guidelines.
• Take action to provide training to all staff in meeting the needs of patients with a learning disability or autism.
• Consider providing an independent adjudication service for patients who may not be satisfied with how the provider has managed their complaint.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

Chief Inspector of Hospitals and Interim Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services