We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 28 May 2019 to ask the service the following key questions; are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?
Our findings were:
Are services safe?
We found that this service was providing safe services in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services effective?
We found that this service was providing effective services in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services caring?
We found that this service was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services responsive?
We found that this service was providing responsive services in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services well-led?
We found that this service was providing well-led services in accordance with the relevant regulations.
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Eastbourne Healthcare Partnership provide diagnostic and screening services to patients referred to them from local primary care services. This includes x-rays and DXA scans (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry used to measure the density of the bone).
The practice manager of the GP practice based next to the location is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
As part of our inspection we asked for CQC comment cards to be completed by patients prior to our inspection. We received two comment cards which were both positive about the service that had been provided. We spoke with three patients who told us they had received a very good service from the provider.
Our key findings were:
- Patients were treated with dignity and respect and the service was delivered in a person-centred way.
- There was an open and transparent approach to safety and a system in place for reporting and recording significant events. However, actions taken to respond to health and safety risk assessments were not always documented.
- Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment.
- Information about services and how to complain was available both in the service in the form of a leaflet and on the service website.
- There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The service proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted upon.
- Patients using local GP practices received direct access to the service. The prompt reporting on imaging procedures resulted in timely access to information for patients and clinicians.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:
- Consider the access arrangements for children to the main waiting area and the implications for staff child safeguarding awareness.
- Review the recording systems for health and safety risk assessment actions to demonstrate actions have been completed within appropriate timescales.
- Keep the training matrix under review to ensure staff training is updated in a timely manner including the fire evacuation/drill update.
Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care