Hey Baby 4D Colchester

Updated 21 December 2022

Hey Baby 4D Colcheter is operated by Hey Baby South East Group Limited. The service provides private pregnancy scanning services and serves the communities of Essex. The service provides ultrasound scans for reassurance or gender determination from 6 to 42 weeks of pregnancy. Appointments include scan findings and images for keepsake purposes. In the event of anomaly detection, women were referred to the local NHS early pregnancy assessment unit or maternity service, depending on the stage of pregnancy.

The service registered with CQC in July 2021. The service has had the same registered manager in post since registration. This is the service’s first inspection since their registration with CQC.

Updated 21 December 2022

We had not previously inspected this service. We rated it as good because:

• The service had enough staff to care for women and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect women from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to women, acted on them and kept good care records. 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 worked well together for the benefit of women and made sure that women had access to information.
• Staff treated women with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to women, families and carers.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of women's individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of women receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with women to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services.

However:

• There was no formal follow up for women who were referred to an NHS service following a concern identified during their scan.
• There was no formalised quality assurance programme in place for ultrasound equipment.
• There was no back up arrangement in place for data that is stored within the clinic’s computer system.

Updated 21 December 2022