We carried out a review of the data available to us about Hartlepool MRI Unit on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Hartlepool MRI Unit, you can give feedback on this service.
Hartlepool MRI Unit is operated by Alliance Medical Limited (AML) .
The Hartlepool MRI Unit commenced service delivery in 1998 and was originally a joint venture between a private sector provider and the then local NHS trust.
The MRI services at Hartlepool have been provided by AML under a joint contract with a local NHS trust since December 2001.
The unit provides a wide range of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans examinations to the NHS, and clinical commissioning groups and a small number of private patients. In addition, the unit provides breast imaging services to the regional breast screening service within the local NHS trust.
The unit is registered with the CQC to undertake the regulated activity of diagnostic and screening procedures. The site provides a service for both adults and children over the age of five years. The site operates from 8am to 8pm six days a week, with reduced opening hours during Sundays and bank holidays.
The Hartlepool MRI Unit is located in a purpose built building adjoining the main hospital radiology department.
On entering the MRI unit there is an open outpatient waiting area, occupying a reception desk, plant room and a separate office space.
The registered manager’s office adjoins the reception desk area.
Patients are escorted through key coded doors into a second area, which occupies the scan room, recovery area, disabled toilets, changing rooms, and the control room.
A staff room is accessed down a small corridor, with further controlled access to the MRI plant room which houses ancillary equipment for scanner operation.
All rooms within the unit are key-coded except for the main door which is locked between 8pm and 8am.
The service provides contracted imaging to NHS funded patients. There were 7996 MRI scans performed at the service between January 2018 to December 2018; 5624 of these were commissioned by a local acute trust and 2352 were completed as part of a NHS contract for a clinical commissioning group. 299 patients scanned were under the age of 18. No patients under the age of five years were scanned.
The service had out sourced image reporting to a third party to ensure the service kept within the key business intelligence indicator for reporting turnaround times and national targets when local radiologists did not have capacity.
We inspected diagnostic imaging services at this location.
We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out an unannounced inspection the 29 May 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’ business intelligence 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 service provided at this location was diagnostic and screening procedures.
Services we rate
We rated it as good overall following this inspection.
We found the following areas of good practice because:
The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them. Staff collected safety information and used it to improve the service.
Staff provided good care and treatment. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Services were flexible and available seven days a week.
Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.
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.
Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work.Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.
However, we found areas of practice that the service needed to improve:
Not all staff had completed safeguarding adults level two training in line with intercollegiate guidance Adult Safeguarding: Roles and Competencies for Health Care Staff (2018), although it is acknowledged that the organisation planned for all clinical staff to complete level two training.
Following this inspection, we told the provider that it should make improvements, even though a regulation had not been breached, to help the service improve. Details are at the end of the report.
Ann Ford
Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (North)
Staff told us that they received regular training and updates by e learning and also newly appointed radiographers said that they got " On the spot training" from the more senior staff if they are dealing with something that they are unsure such as non routine procedure.They also commented that the manager of the unit was very supportive towards the team. One member of staff said 'If we raise issues with the manager and he thinks its a good idea or a better way of working then our point of view is always considered and taken on board. He is very good at his job and really supports the staff here".
The environment was clean and tidy and measures were in place to control the risk of any cross infection to patients who were attending the unit.
We saw that people were given information leaflets about the unit and this included how to raise concerns if they were unhappy with the service.
inspections in May 2011. Although there was one person in the waiting room we did not capture their views as they were waiting to go for a MRI, so we did not want to cause them any more anxiety.