Practice Plus Group Diagnostics, Buckinghamshire

Updated 11 July 2022

Practice Plus Group Diagnostics, Buckinghamshire, opened in 2007 and is operated by Practice Plus Group Hospitals Limited. It is an independent diagnostic imaging service based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The service is based on the ground floor of a building shared with a musculoskeletal service which is owned by the same provider. The service offered appointments for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound scans and X-rays. The service did not conduct scans requiring contrast. The service hosts an echocardiogram service, but another independent diagnostic provider operated this service; therefore, we did not inspect this.

The service primarily served the communities of Buckinghamshire and some of Oxfordshire. Most referrals were for adults, but the service also provided scans for children aged 16 to 17 years old. Referrals were accepted from GPs, the musculoskeletal service in the same building and from a local NHS trust.

Radiographers, sonographers, clinical assistants and administration staff were employed by Practice Plus Group Hospitals Limited. The service had access to a radiologist who worked for the provider nationally. An external third party produced reports for X-ray and MRI scans.

The service had a registered manager who was responsible for the regulated activity;

• Diagnostic and screening services.

The service was last inspected in January 2019. All domains were rated as good, except for effective which we do not rate for this service type.

Updated 11 July 2022

Our rating of this service stayed the same. We rated it as good because:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills and understood how to protect patients from abuse. Staff assessed risks to patients, 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 patients. Key services were available to suit patients' needs.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and took account of their individual needs. They provided emotional support to patients.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities.

However:

• Quality assurance processes were not in place for all diagnostic equipment.
• Governance processes did not always identify risk.
• Not all products were stored before the expiry date.
• Clinical waste was not always stored securely.
• Cleaning chemicals were not always stored securely.
• Printed documents were not always in date.

Updated 1 March 2019

This is a diagnostic imaging service run by Care UK. The service is based at High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire.

We rated this service as good because it was safe, caring, responsive and well-led.  We do not rate effective for this type of service.

Updated 11 July 2022