Westmorland Alliance Medical Unit

Updated 14 March 2019

Westmorland Alliance Medical Unit is operated by Alliance Medical Limited and was a purpose built standalone unit in the grounds of a hospital. The unit was opened in March 2017 to provide Magnetic Reasoning Imaging (MRI) services to a local NHS Hospitals Trust.

It was an independent service in Kendal, Cumbria. The service primarily served the communities of Cumbria with referrals from a local NHS Trust.

The service only took referrals from the local NHS Trust. The service had a registered manager in post during the inspection. This is the first time the Westmorland Alliance Medical Unit had been inspected.

The service provided Magnetic Reasoning Imaging (MRI) only and had one MRI scanner. The service provided information stating they provide MRI services to patients 17 years old and over. 

Bookings to the service were made by the local NHS trust. The service was open 12 hours a day, 8am to 8pm seven days a week.

The service was a scan only service and the local NHS trust was responsible for reporting scans. During the inspection we spoke with three staff (one of which was the unit manager), four patients and reviewed fifteen patient records.

Updated 14 March 2019

Westmorland Alliance Medical Unit is operated by Alliance Medical Limited. Westmorland Alliance Medical Unit provided MRI services only to a local NHS trust.

The service provided diagnostic imaging.

We inspected diagnostic imaging. We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out the unannounced inspection on 23 October 2018.

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

We rated it as good overall.

We found good practice in relation to:

• Mandatory training compliance levels were 100% and was provided as face to face training or e-learning.
• The MRI unit was visibly clean and tidy. The service used a MRI safety consent form for patients and visitors and there was warning signage on display in the unit. There was a local rules procedure for Westmorland Alliance MRI unit. Actual staffing levels were mostly as planned.
• The service had access to electronic incident reporting systems and staff were aware of how to report incidents. Staff were aware of how to report safeguarding concerns and had access to a safeguarding lead as required.
• Staff could describe the national guidance they worked with. The service was 100% compliant with appraisals and staff had the opportunity to discuss professional development at appraisals.
• Patient feedback was positive about the service. The service could provide a chaperone if required. Privacy and dignity was maintained in the unit.
• There had been no formal complaints in the previous 12 months for the service. There was an Alliance Medical corporate policy for the management of concerns and complaints.
• Appointment choices were available and bookings were made through the local NHS trust. Appointment times varied depending on the scan.
• Staff told us there was good teamwork in the service and the unit manager described the governance arrangements and could describe the risks to the service. The unit had a manager and reported to a regional director at Alliance Medical. The unit manager attended the MRI unit once a week, as a minimum.

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

• Two of the ten patient safety consent checklists checked were not scanned onto the local trust electronic systems.
• The daily cleaning was not always documented on the cleaning schedule.
• The risk register provided by the service did not detail all the risks highlighted by the service.
• The service did not audit the completion of patient safety consent forms.
• There was no local strategy for the MRI unit. 

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. Details are at the end of the report.

Ellen Armistead

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (North Region)

Updated 14 March 2019

Westmorland Alliance Medical Unit provided MRI services to a local NHS trust in Kendal. We rated this service as good because it was safe, caring, responsive and well led.