Sheffield Private Pregnancy Care

Updated 8 November 2022

Sheffield Private Pregnancy Care is an independent pregnancy scan and antenatal support service operated by A&J Healthcare enterprises. The service offers gender, viability, reassurance, wellbeing, fertility, 3D and 4D, harmony (DNA) testing and non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) tests. All ultrasound scans are performed at the clinic are in addition to those provided through the NHS as part of a pregnancy care pathway. The service is run by two NHS consultants, one of which is the registered manager. Both consultants specialise in obstetrics and maternal, and fetal medicine at a local NHS trust. The registered manager (RM) had been in post since 2019.

The service, which is registered for diagnostic and screening services, provides services to adults over the age of 18.

The service currently operates from a third party hosted building within Sheffield and provides approximately 547 appointments across a year. At the time of the inspection the service did not directly employ any additional staff, however the service was supported by reception staff, two of which act as chaperones and a governance and compliance manager. This individual was also the independent nominated individual for the service. These staff are managed by the third-party host and the level of support provided, defined through a lease agreement.

Sheffield Private Pregnancy Care was registered in 2019 and had not been previously inspected.

Updated 8 November 2022

The service had not been inspected previously.

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 and understood how to protect women from abuse. Incidents were reported, investigated and shared appropriately. The service-controlled infection risk well and they kept equipment and the premises visibly clean. The service had enough staff with the right qualifications, skills, training and experience to keep women safe from avoidable harm.
• The service provided care and treatment based on national guidance and evidence-based practice and monitored some effectiveness of care and treatment delivered. Staff worked well together for the benefit of the women.
• The service had a strong, visible person-centred culture. Staff were highly motivated and passionate. Women were treated with compassion and kindness and staff respected their privacy and dignity.
• There was no waiting list at the time of inspection and women told us they were able to access the service easily.

However:

• Some governance processes were not embedded such as the oversight of staff records, and the development of service risk registers.
• The provider did not collate or review data regarding booking numbers or women who were referred directly into the NHS central system.
• The provider did not have a formal system in which feedback could be collated, monitored or reviewed.

Updated 8 November 2022

Please see summary above.