InHealth MRI - Sandwell General Hospital

Updated 15 January 2020

Sandwell MRI Centre is operated by InHealth Limited. InHealth was established over 25 years ago and has worked collaboratively with NHS and private sector partners providing diagnostic services including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services.

Magnetic resonance imaging is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body in both health and disease. Magnetic resonance imaging scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves to generate images of the organs in the body. An MRI is a type of scan that uses magnets and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body.

Sandwell MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) Centre opened in 2005. It is self-contained on the premises of an NHS trust and has its own front entrance, access for inpatients is through an internal door. Recently InHealth secured a new contract to continue the service.

Open seven days a week for 13-14 hours per day, the centre provides a wide range of MRI examinations mainly to the NHS trust and to general practitioner (GP) patients. Both patient groups are referred directly from the trust or direct access from GPs in the local area. The service provides imaging for both in and outpatients and welcomes patients with any level of mobility. Sandwell MRI Centre provides a service for patients aged 0 to 65 plus.

A small number of private patients are referred directly to InHealth. All staff employed at the centre are employed by InHealth.

The service was last inspected in 2013 when we found the service to be meeting the required standards of the Health and Social Care Act. At that time the CQC did not have the legal authority to rate these types of services.

The centre primarily serves the communities of Sandwell, West Bromwich and West Birmingham. It also accepts NHS and private patient referrals from outside this area.

Sandwell MRI Centre’s registered manager has been in post since June 2015.

We carried out this comprehensive inspection of the service on 24 and 26 July 2019. We gave the service 90 minutes notice of our visit on 24 July 2019 and subsequently told them we intended to return on 26 July 2019.

Updated 15 January 2020

Sandwell MRI Centre is operated by InHealth Limited. Facilities are solely diagnostic facilities.

The service provides for adults, children and young people. We inspected diagnostic imaging services.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out an unannounced visit on 24 July 2019 and returned announced on 26 July 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.

Services we rate

This service had not been previously rated.

We rated it as Good overall.

We found good practice in relation to diagnostic imaging:

• There were effective systems in place to keep people protected from avoidable harm and effective risk assessment arrangements.
• There were sufficient numbers of staff with the necessary skills, experience and qualifications to meet patients’ needs.
• There was a programme of mandatory training in key safety areas, which all staff completed, and systems for checking staff competencies.
• Equipment was maintained and serviced appropriately, and the environment was visibly clean.
• Staff were trained and understood what to do if a safeguarding issue was identified.
• Records were up to date and complete and kept people protected from unauthorised access.
• Incidents were reported, investigated and learning was implemented.
• The service used evidence-based processes and best practice, this followed recognised protocols. Scans were timely, effective and reported on in good time.
• Staff were competent in their field and kept up to date with their professional practice.
• The service worked well with internal and external colleagues and partnership working was strong.
• Staff demonstrated a kind and caring approach to their patients, supported their emotional needs and provided reassurance.
• Appointments were available during the evening, weekends and at short notice if required.
• The referral to scan times and scan to reporting times were appropriate and well within expected ranges.
• The service had few complaints but acted upon feedback from patients and staff.
• The service had supportive, competent managers who led by example. Staff understood and were invested in the vision and values of the organisation. The culture was positive and staff demonstrated pride in the work and the service provided.
• Risks were identified, assessed and mitigated. Performance was monitored and data used to seek improvements for both staff and patients.
• Engagement with staff, stakeholders and partners was a strong feature of the service.

However, we also found the following issues that the service provider needs to improve:

• The service should raise awareness of sepsis by displaying posters and providing information.
• The service should develop an engagement strategy with its partners to include the public and equality groups.

Following this inspection, we told the provider that it should consider other improvements, even though a regulation had not been breached, to help the service improve. Details are at the end of the report.

Heidi Smoult

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (Midlands)

Updated 15 January 2020

Diagnostic imaging was the only activity provided by the service. We rated it as Good because we found safe, caring, response and well-led to be good.