Vascular Solutions is an independent service, which operates at the University Hospital Lewisham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The service has two rooms at University Hospital Lewisham and one room at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The service provides an ultrasound scanning diagnostic facility for adults only.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out the unannounced part of the inspection on 28 September 2018, along with an announced visit to the hospitals on 4 October 2018.

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 service provided by this organisation was diagnostic ultrasound scanning.

Services we rate

We previously did not have the authority to rate this service. However, on this inspection we did have the power to rate and we rated it as good overall.

We found good practice in relation to:

• The service was visibly clean, tidy and well organised. Staff had access to handwashing facilities and personal protective equipment was used appropriately.

• There were sufficient appropriately trained staff to provide the expected level of service. Mandatory training covered a varied range of subjects and there was very good compliance by staff. In addition, staff had personal development and training opportunities, identified through performance reviews.

• Staff understood their responsibility with regards to identifying and reporting incidents. Care was evidence-based and provided in line with current legislation, and best practice guidance.

• Patients were cared for with dignity, kindness and respect. Staff communicated well with patients involving them in the process. Staff demonstrated an understanding of how to meet patients’ needs to ensure their experience was positive.

• The service had a clear complaints process and had not received any formal complaints during the last year.

• All staff we spoke with knew what the values and vision of the service were. Staff were passionate about patient safety and aimed to provide an excellent standard of care.

Dr Nigel Acheson

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (London)

We spoke with three patients who all said that the information they had received was good. They also said they had been listened to and had their questions answered. One patient told us she had experience of four scans with this service and on each occasion the lady who scanned the patients “explained everything and showed me what was happening on the screen”.

A consultant vascular surgeon told us that Vascular Solutions Limited “provide the best service.” He added that they provided detailed scans and that “the report provided is excellent”.

Patients who used the service told us their privacy and dignity was maintained.

We observed the interaction of the staff with patients and other health care professionals throughout the clinic. The staff at all times were receptive, friendly, calm and helpful.

The staff we spoke with told us there were sufficient staff to meet the needs of patients. The three patients we spoke with confirmed they were happy with the service provided.

We observed that the service had sufficient quality assurance systems in place.