Denmark Hill PET-CT Centre

Updated 24 October 2022

Denmark Hill PET-CT Centre is operated by Alliance Medical Limited (AML) and provides diagnostic imaging services for people 18 years of age and over. The service delivers positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) diagnostic imaging services.

PET-CT procedure combines the pictures from a positron emission tomography (PET) scan and a computed tomography (CT) scan. The PET-CT scans are done at the same time with the same machine. The combined scans give more detailed pictures of areas inside the body than either scan gives by itself. A PET-CT scan is a specialist scan with an injection of radioactive isotope. The radioactive isotope shows up cells that are active either with disease or inflammation and can help the doctors focus on whether you need further investigations such as a biopsy.

Denmark Hill PET-CT centre is based in the Nuclear Medicine & PET-CT Department in the Jubilee Wing of King’s College University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The PET-CT centre is registered to provide the regulated activity of diagnostic and screening procedures.

What people who use the service say

Patients we spoke with were all very positive about the service they received and the staff who provided it. Patients we spoke with told us they were offered emotional support during their PET-CT scan.

Updated 24 October 2022

This was the first time we had inspected and rated this service. We rated it as good 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. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
• Staff provided good care and treatment. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand the process.
• 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 felt respected, supported and valued. The service engaged well with patients to improve services.

However;

• The temporary mobile scanning staff were not able to access local rules via the online SharePoint system.
• There was no post procedure patient information leaflet for patients from care homes.
• There was no sign to indicate that the service at the centre was provided by Alliance Medical limited.

Updated 24 October 2022

This service has not been previously rated. We rated it as good. See the summary above for details of our findings.