Ultrasound Direct Milton Keynes

Updated 31 October 2022

Ultrasound Direct Milton Keynes is owned by the provider JJPT Ultrasound Services Limited and operates under a franchise agreement with Ultrasound Direct.

Ultrasound Direct Milton Keynes provides ultrasound scans for self-funding men and women and limited phlebotomy services, including non-invasive pregnancy tests (NIPTs) and fertility services. The core business is early pregnancy scanning and NIPTs. The service is provided to those aged 16 and over and is provided on a self-referral basis.

Ultrasound Direct Milton Keynes is provided from the main location in Stony Stratford and 2 satellite locations in Bedford and Hertford. Each of these locations has 1 scanning room.

Ultrasound Direct Milton Keynes was registered in 2020 and had not been previously inspected as part of this registration. However, Ultrasound Direct Milton Keynes, and the satellite locations in Bedford and Hertford, had been operating under a different registration prior to 2020.

Ultrasound Direct were acquired by The Fertility Partnership (TFP) in 2017. The provider was supported by TFP for HR advice, policies, clinical support, audit and review and other operational support. Staff and sonographers are employed by JJPT.

At the time of our inspection, the clinic employed 1 registered manager, 1 lead sonographer, 5 sessional sonographers and 4 administrative assistants. The service did not employ any medical staff. The clinic did not store or administer any medicines or controlled drugs.

The service had a registered manager in post and was registered to carry out the following regulated activities:

• Diagnostic and screening procedures

Updated 31 October 2022

This was our first inspection for Ultrasound Direct Milton Keynes. We rated it as requires improvement because:

• Staff had not always ensured that cleaning, equipment checks and first aid kit checks had been carried out and recorded as required.
• Staff had not carried out risk assessments for substances which met the ‘Control of Substances Hazardous to Health’ (COSHH) regulations.
• Staff did not complete any training on recognising and responding to patients with learning disabilities or autism. This became a requirement in July 2022.
• Staff did not have access to contact details for the local authority so that they could make a referral when they identified safeguarding concerns.
• Staff did not always report incidents and near misses in line with the service's policy.
• Data or notifications were not consistently submitted to external organisations as required.
• The registered manager was not always able to demonstrate that they had appropriate knowledge of applicable legislation and regulations.
• There were inconsistencies in the effectiveness of governance, information management and the management of risk, issues and performance.

However:

• The service had enough staff to keep patients safe. Staff understood how to protect patients from abuse. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records.
• 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 and supported them to make decisions about their care.
• 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.
• People did not have to wait too long for treatment. The service made it easy for people to give feedback.
• 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 and staff were committed to improving services continually.

Updated 31 October 2022

This is the first time we have rated this service. We rated it as requires improvement overall. We rated this service as requires improvement for safety and leadership. We rated caring and responsive as good. We do not rate the effective domain in diagnostic and screening services. See the summary above for details.