Nu-Gen Ultrasound Ltd is operated by Nu-Gen Ultrasound Ltd. Facilities include one consultation room and a reception area.

The service comes under the diagnostic imaging core service but they undertake baby keepsake in women aged 16 and over. Baby keepsake scanning is the sole activity, these are not diagnostic.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We undertook an unannounced inspection on 7 February 2019. To get to the heart of women’ 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.

Services we rate

We rated it as Good overall.

We found good practice:

• Staff managed potential risks to the women whilst they were being scanned. Staff managed infection control risks, they had a system in place to manage deteriorating patients which all staff were aware of and they knew how to report incidents.

• The service was appropriately staffed and all staff members received the mandatory training they needed to carry out the job safely. The service ensured that staff were fully competent to carry out their roles.

• The service provided care and treatment based on national guidance and the service had relevant policies and procedures in place to ensure its effectiveness and high standards.

• Staff treated women who used the service with kindness and compassion and would provide any emotional support if it was needed.

• Staff always involved the women who used the service in the care they received and took their individual needs into account.

• The service was planned to meet the needs of local people and women could access the service at the time that best suited them.

• Staff engaged with women who used the service and valued their feedback. Staff had the appropriate systems in place to deal with any concerns or complaints, although they had not received any since it opened.

• The registered manager had the skills and training to manage the service appropriately and created a positive, open and honest culture within the service.

However we found the following areas that require improvement;

• The service did not carry out peer reviewed audits in line with national guidance.

• The registered manager did not receive an appraisal specific to the sonographer role.