• Hospital
  • Independent hospital

GenesisCare Windsor

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Centre for diagnostics, oncology and well-being, 69 Alma Road, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 3ES 07741 560222

Provided and run by:
Genesis Cancer Care UK Limited

All Inspections

02 February 2021, 11 February 2021

During a routine inspection

GenesisCare Windsor is operated by Genesis Cancer Care UK Limited. The centre provides diagnosis and treatment to patients over 18 years old.

The centre has a radiology department which provides diagnostic imaging to diagnose new cancers, this includes mammography, ultrasound, computerised tomography (CT), positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The service offers a range of chemotherapy treatments in a private suite.

The service delivers therapeutic radiotherapy, involving the planning and delivery of radiotherapy treatments. The service offers advanced radiotherapy techniques for precision targeting of cancers. These include: surface guided radiotherapy treatment (SGRT), image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) and volume modulated arc therapy (VMAT) as a type of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

The service has a theranostics service which uses a radioactive isotope and diagnostic imaging to seek and treat hard to reach cancers.

The service has an outpatient department which provides the following services: a one-stop breast service, urology, haematology, minor operations and biopsy. These clinics offer diagnosis of cancer or other illnesses. The outpatient department also offer patients appointments with their oncology consultant.

The centre offers a wellbeing centre and an exercise clinic.

There are no overnight beds.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out an unannounced inspection on 2 February 2021 and an announced inspection on 11 February 2021.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we ask the same five questions of all services: are they safe, effective, caring, responsive to people's needs, and well-led? Where we have a legal duty to do so we rate services’ performance against each key question as outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate.

Throughout the inspection, we took account of what people told us and how the provider understood and complied with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

The main service provided by this centre was Oncology. Where services relate to Oncology, we have reported under the Medical Care section of the report. Where our findings on Medical Care – for example, management arrangements – also apply to other services, we do not repeat the information but cross-refer to the Medical Care service level.

The service also provided non-oncology services, but this was a small proportion of the centre activity. We reported non-oncology services under the Outpatients section of the report.

Our rating of this location went down. 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, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them. Staff collected safety information and used it to improve the service.
  • Staff provided good care and treatment and gave patients enough to eat and drink. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information. Key services were available from Monday to Friday, the service had 24-hour telephone triage service seven days a week.
  • Staff treated patients 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 patients, families and carers.
  • The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, 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. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

However:

  • In corridors of the centre we found cleaning cupboards which were unlocked. Inside these cupboards cleaning items, subject to control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) requirements, were found on cleaning trolleys and therefore not locked away securely.
  • In the radiotherapy department, we observed a breach of confidential personal information. During our inspection, we observed the list of patients scheduled for the day appear on the screen in the treatment room; whilst the patient was in there.

24 to 25 June 2019

During a routine inspection

Genesis Care Windsor is operated by Genesis Cancer Care UK Limited. Services provided are clinical and therapeutic diagnostics, treatments and consultations.

The centre provides treatment to patients over 18 years old, this includes, chemotherapy, outpatient consultations and minor treatments such as lesion removal. The centre has a radiology department which provides diagnostic imaging to diagnose new cancers, this includes x-ray, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, computerised tomography (CT), positron emission tomography–computed tomography(PET-CT), a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear medicine.

The centre delivers therapeutic radiotherapy, involving the planning and delivery of radiotherapy treatments. The service had recently started to deliver a theranostics service which combines both therapy and diagnostics. The centre offers a Wellbeing centre and an exercise clinic.

There are no overnight beds.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out an unannounced inspection on 24 June to the 25 June 2019.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we ask the same five questions of all services: are they safe, effective, caring, responsive to people's needs, and well-led? Where we have a legal duty to do so we rate services’ performance against each key question as outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate.

Throughout the inspection, we took account of what people told us and how the provider understood and complied with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

The main service provided by this hospital was medicine. Where our findings on medicines’, for example, management arrangements – also apply to other services, we do not repeat the information but cross-refer to the medicines’ service level.

We rated it as Outstanding overall.

  • The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learnt lessons from them. Staff collected safety information and used it to improve the service.

  • Staff provided effective care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink, and gave them pain relief when they needed it. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information.

  • Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided exceptional emotional support to patients, families and carers.

  • The service planned care to meet the needs of local people and made it easy for people to give feedback

  • Leaders had the integrity, skills and abilities to run an outstanding service. Comprehensive and successful leadership strategies were in place to ensure and sustain delivery and to develop the desired culture.

  • Leaders supported all their staff to develop their clinical and leadership skills. Managers across the centre promoted a positive culture that supported and valued staff, creating a sense of common purpose based on shared values. Staff were proud of the organisation as a place to work and spoke highly of the culture.

  • Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

  • There was a demonstrated commitment to best practice performance and risk management systems and processes.

  • Following this inspection, we told the provider that it should make other improvements, even though a regulation had not been breached, to help the service improve. Details are at the end of the report.

Nigel Acheson

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (London and South)