Archived: Haywards Heath MRI Unit

Updated 23 April 2019

Haywards Heath MRI Unit is operated by Medical Imaging Partnership Limited. A mobile MRI unit has been in operation since 2012 under a service level agreement with Nuffield Health Haywards Heath Hospital. Medical Imaging Partnership Limited built a MRI unit within Nuffield Health Haywards Heath Hospital, which opened in December 2015.

The service provides diagnostic MRI scans for patients referred under NHS contract, which includes a local musculoskeletal service and local NHS trusts. The service also carries out insurance and self- pay scans. The service case mix is varied, predominantly musculoskeletal, neurological, gynaecological and abdominal conditions with some use of contrast agents’ injections. Contrast agents are used to improve pictures of the inside of the body produced by the MRI scanner.

The unit has had a Registered Manager in post since May 2015. We inspected this service on 19 February 2019. This was the first inspection since Registration in 2015.

Updated 23 April 2019

Services we rate

We rated this service as  good overall.

We found good practice in relation to diagnostic imaging:

• The service provided mandatory training in key skills to all staff and made sure everyone completed it.
• Staff understood how to protect patients from abuse and the service worked well with other agencies to do so.
• The service had suitable premises and equipment and looked after them well.
• Staff completed and updated risk assessments for each patient.
• The service had enough staff with the right qualifications, skills, training and experience to keep people safe from avoidable harm and to provide the right care and treatment.
• Staff kept detailed records of patients’ care and treatment.
• The service followed best practice when prescribing, giving, recording and storing medicines.
• The service managed patient safety incidents well.
• The service provided care and treatment based on national guidance and evidence of its effectiveness.
• Staff gave patients enough food and drink to meet their needs and improve their health.
• Staff assessed and monitored patients regularly to see if they were in pain.
• Managers monitored the effectiveness of care and treatment and used the findings to improve them.
• The service made sure staff were competent for their roles.
• Staff of different kinds worked together as a team to benefit patients.
• Staff understood their roles and responsibilities under the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect. The interactions we observed showed staff being professional and compassionate. We heard staff speak to patients in a friendly yet professional manner.
• Referrals were responded to rapidly. Patients could be offered immediate appointments in case of an emergency.
• Timely reporting was monitored and facilitated with IT systems allowing results to pass quickly to referrers. Urgent or unexpected findings triggered an immediate process, ensuring results were seen promptly by consultants.
• Company values had been reviewed and refreshed with staff involvement. Corporate functions supported clinical activity at site level with policies, procedures, resource and effective communication cascaded to ensure that provision met objectives for patient care.
• We found an open and candid approach to incident and complaint management. Staff we talked with understood their role to ensure candour was routinely applied.
• Managers across the service promoted a positive culture that supported and valued staff, creating a sense of common purpose based on shared values.

We found areas of practice that require improvement in diagnostic imaging:

• Not all staff working in the clinical area were bare below the elbow.
• Some policies were outdated and in need of review.
• There was no local risk oversight to make sure that there was adequate responsibility, accountability and effective management of current risks at a local level, except for the fire and MRI risk assessments.
• The service was in the process of embedding a formalised staff appraisal programme but this fell below the expected standard of 100% completion.

Updated 23 April 2019

The provision of MRI scanning services, which is classified under the diagnostic imaging and endoscopy core service was the only core service provided at this service. We rated this core service as good overall.