West Middlesex MRI

Updated 9 May 2019

West Middlesex MRI is operated by Alliance Medical Limited (AML). AML has been operating in the UK since 1989 providing diagnostic imaging services and becoming a CQC registered provider in 2010.

West Middlesex MRI originally opened in 2001 and operated as an independently owned diagnostic imaging provider for over 7 years. AML acquired the service in August 2008. West Middlesex MRI is a private service in Isleworth, Middlesex. The service primarily serves the communities of Hounslow and Richmond. It also accepts patient referrals from outside this area.

The service has had a registered manager in post since 2014. At the time of the inspection, a new manager had recently been appointed and was registered with the CQC in 2018.

The service is located in the grounds of a local trust hospital and had a service level agreement with the trust which allowed the service to use the hospital facilities such as the pharmacy service and portering service.

Updated 9 May 2019

West Middlesex MRI is operated by Alliance Medical Limited (AML). The service has one Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner and a Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) scanner. The service also has access to a mobile MRI scanning unit used to meet higher patient demands. An MRI uses strong magnetic fields, gradients and radio waves to generate images of the organs in the body. DEXA scanners measure bone mineral density.

The service solely provides diagnostic imaging, which we inspected.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out the announced part of the inspection on 5 March 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.

This was the first time we rated this service. We rated it as Good overall.

We found good practice:

• High levels of mandatory training compliance and good knowledge of safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.

• The service provided care and treatment based on national guidance and evidence of its effectiveness. Managers checked to make sure staff followed guidance.

• Staff demonstrated a kind and caring approach to their patients, which was noted in the friends and family questionnaire.

• Tours of the unit were available for anxious patients prior to their appointments. Patients suffering with claustrophobia were invited to visit the unit prior to their scans.

• The service had a supportive, competent and experienced manager.

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.

• The provider should ensure competencies are formally documented and well maintained.

• The provider should ensure that corporate AML values are known and understood.

Professor Edward Baker

Chief Inspector of Hospitals

Updated 9 May 2019

The service provides MRI and DEXA scans to NHS and private patients.

We rated this service as good because it was safe, effective, caring and responsive and well-led.