North Staffordshire MRI/CT Imaging Centre is operated by InHealth Limited . The service provides CT (Computerised Tomography) and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) diagnostic facilities for adults and children. A CT scan combines a series of X-ray images taken from different angles around your body and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images (slices) of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside your body. A MRI scan uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the organs and tissues within the body.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out the unannounced inspection on 21 March 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 centre was CT and MRI scans.

Services we rate

We rated it as Good overall.

• The service had enough staff with the right qualifications, skills, training and experience to keep people safe from avoidable harm and to provide the right care and treatment.

• The service managed patient safety incidents well. Staff recognised incidents and reported them appropriately. Managers investigated incidents and shared lessons learned with the whole team and the wider service.

• The service provided care and treatment based on national guidance and evidenced its effectiveness.

• People were always treated with dignity by all those involved in their care, treatment and support. Consideration of people’s privacy and dignity was consistently embedded in everything that staff do.

• Staff involved patients in decisions about their care and treatment.

• The service planned and provided services in a way that met the needs of local people. People could access the service when they needed it. Waiting times from referral to treatment and arrangements to admit, treat and discharge patients were in line with good practice.

• People could access the service when they needed it. Waiting times from referral to treatment and arrangements to admit, treat and discharge patients were in line with good practice.

• The service systematically improved service quality and safeguarded high standards of care by creating an environment for excellent clinical care to flourish.

Amanda Stanford

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (Central Region)