West London Diagnostic Limited

Updated 6 January 2023

West London Diagnostic Limited is a diagnostic service that provides ultrasound scans of the abdomen, pelvis and musculoskeletal scans including ultrasound guided steroid injections from consultant radiologists (to provide pain relief treatments). The service treats patients over the age of 18 years and children over the age of 12. The service did not carry out interventional procedures on children.

The service is located in West London, Ealing. The service shares its location with a physiotherapy clinic, and shares staff such as domestic and reception staff. The service is operational between the hours of 5.30pm and 7.30pm, on Friday evenings. The provider sees self-paying patients who are mainly from West London, with a few patients from outside London.

The service is registered with the CQC to provide the regulated activity of diagnostic and screening procedures and treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

At the time of our inspection the clinic employed one registered manager who was also the main consultant radiologist, one consultant, one healthcare assistant staff member and one administrative staff member.

In the last 12 months the service carried out 210 ultrasound scans on patients. Of these, 89% were musculoskeletal scans, 11% were for scans of the abdomen/kidneys/renal/testes.

Updated 6 January 2023

We rated the provider as requires improvement because:

• The provider did not have a full anaphylaxis kit in a grab bag containing all of the required medicines.
• The service had improved its infection control practices since the last inspection however, we found a used glove in the medical trolley.
• We found out of date equipment that was not required for the procedures undertaken at the service, in the medical trolley.
• We found a sharps bin which had not been signed with its lid open which did not follow NICE guidance around the safe use and disposal of sharps.
• The service’s policy for the scanning of children now made clear that the service did not undertake interventional procedures for children however it did not make clear that the service treated children who were 12 years old and above and we did not see a consent policy for children.
• The medicines management policy had been updated since the last inspection but the changes the service made as a result of the inspection had not been incorporated into the document.
• The service had improved its risk register outlining the risks to the service specifically however not all of the risks we found at the last inspection and this inspection were listed within the risk register.
• The service had a vision for what it wanted to achieve, however, the strategy still did not detail how the service planned on achieving these goals.
• The service did not have access to an interpreter for patients whose first language was not English but were in the process of sourcing a suitable interpreter service.
• The clinic was based within a building that was not easily accessible for wheelchair users. There was ramp to get into the clinic, but the patient toilets were too narrow to accommodate wheelchair users.

However:

• The service had ensured the ultrasound machine was serviced and PAT tested.
• The service had improved its infection control practices. There was now a cleaning log for the ultrasound machine, clinic room, chairs and examination couch.
• The service had actioned the National Patient Safety alert in relation to the safe use of ultrasound gel to reduce infection risk.
• The service had implemented temperature monitoring of the medicines cupboard.
• The service now had formal governance and team meeting minutes containing detailed discussion and actions.
• The service had amended the complaints policy to ensure that the CQC’s remit was corrected reflected.
• Staff spoke highly of the manager.
• Patient records were comprehensive and clear.
• The service now had written clinical protocols and policies in place.
• The service now had a comprehensive audit schedule and had begun undertaking quality assurance for the ultrasound machine.
• The service’s safeguarding policy now referred to up to date versions of national guidance and contained details on how staff can make a safeguarding referral.
• The registered manager was clear on the requirements of a practising privileges policy and now ensured that the service followed its practising privileges policy.

On 14 September 2022, West London Diagnostic Limited was issued with an urgent notice to suspend their registration as a service provider in respect of regulated activities. This notice was served under Section 31 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. We re-inspected the service on 18 November 2022 and found that the service had made significant improvements in the areas where we had concerns. Action we have asked the provider to take can be found at the end of this report.

Updated 6 January 2023

West London Diagnostic Limited is a diagnostic service that provides ultrasound scans of the abdomen, pelvis and musculoskeletal scans including ultrasound guided steroid injections from consultant radiologists (to provide pain relief treatments). The service treats patients over the age of 18 years and children over the age of 12 years. The service did not carry out interventional procedures on children.

The service is located in West London, Ealing. The service shares its location with a physiotherapy clinic, and shares staff such as domestic and reception staff. The service is operational between the hours of 5.30pm and 7.30pm, on Friday evenings. The provider sees self-paying patients who are mainly from West London, with a few patients from outside London.