Hey Baby 4D Manchester East Ltd

Updated 13 September 2022

Hey Baby 4D Manchester East Ltd is operated by Hey Baby 4D Manchester East Limited. It is part of the Hey Baby 4D franchise. The clinic provides private, non-diagnostic ultrasound services for the community of Stalybridge and other surrounding areas.

The service provides ultrasound scans, for women over the age of 18, for gender determination and reassurance purposes. Non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPT’s) are available from 10 weeks, this test identifies chromosomal conditions, such as Down’s Syndrome, as well as the probable sex of the baby. A “Sneak Peek Gender Test” is also offered that confirms the sex of the baby from as early as six weeks gestation.

Appointments include scan findings and images for keepsake purposes. When an anomaly is detected, women were referred to their local NHS early pregnancy assessment unit or maternity service.

The service registered with CQC in 2019. It is registered to carry on the regulated activity of diagnostic and screening procedures. The same registered manager has been in post since the service was registered.

This is the service’s first inspection since they registered with the CQC.

Updated 13 September 2022

This was our first inspection of this clinic.

We rated it as good because:

The clinic had suitable facilities and equipment to meet the needs of women. Staff had trained in key skills and understood how to protect women from abuse. Staff were aware of risks and knew what to do in an emergency. The service had enough staff to care for women and records were stored safely and were up to date.

Staff followed up to date policies and ensured their treatment was evidence based. Staff monitored the effectiveness of care. Staff were competent in their roles. The team worked well together and with other services. Women were provided with advice regarding health promotion. Staff had training in supporting women to make informed decisions about their care and understood consent and mental capacity.

Staff treated women with compassion. They respected their privacy and dignity and provided emotional support to women and their loved ones.

The clinic met the needs of the local people, took in to account the women’s individual needs and made it easy for women to provide feedback. Women could access appointments easily and adaptations were made if necessary.

The registered manager ran the service well. Staff felt supported and valued. Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities. The registered manager was clear about her vision for the clinic, which was supported by staff.

However,

The registered manager did not always have clear oversight of the competency of the sonographers who were employed by the clinic. Sonographers did not have annual appraisals and did not undergo regular peer reviews. The provider did not always have effective quality assurance measures in place.

The clinic could improve on infection control as one cleaning product was found to be out of date, hand hygiene audits were not completed and the weekly deep clean completed by the registered manager was not documented.

Updated 13 September 2022