The Care Quality Commission
  • Hospital
  • Independent hospital

Archived: Hello Baby

1 Scholes Lane, St Helens, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 5NX (01744) 810999

Provided and run by:
Hello Baby (UK) Limited

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

31 March 2016

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 31 March 2016 to ask the service the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

We found that this service was not providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services effective?

We found that this service was not providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services caring?

We found that this service was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services responsive?

We found that this service was providing responsive care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services well-led?

We found that this service was not providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Background

This comprehensive inspection was undertaken as a result of a number of concerns about the service being highlighted to CQC.

CQC last inspected the service on 5 December 2014 and asked the provider to make improvements regarding infection control and supporting workers. We checked these areas as part of this comprehensive inspection and found these had been resolved.

Hello Baby is an ultrasound scanning business which provides non-clinical baby scans in 2D and 3D/4D. Non-clinical scans are also referred to as souvenir or entertainment scans.

Hello Baby is located on a busy high street in an area of St Helens. The service is open on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings for scanning but there are also receptionists working each day. People can either book an appointment direct with the service or via the on-line booking system.

At the time of the inspection there were no qualified sonographers employed by the service.

The provider is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Our key findings were:

  • People reported they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
  • The scanning room were well organised and equipped.
  • There were systems in place to check all equipment had been serviced regularly.
  • Staff maintained the necessary skills and competence to support the needs of people
  • Staff were not working within current guidelines.
  • Staff were kind, caring, competent and put people at their ease.
  • The provider was aware of, and complied with, the requirements of the Duty of Candour.

We identified regulations that were not being met and the provider must:

  • Review and implement current guidelines regarding the frequency of scans and ensure those guidelines are adhered too.
  • Review the content of the consent form to ensure it contains British Medical Ultrasound Society advice and guidance on entertainment scans.
  • Implement appropriate risk assessments to ensure service users were not put at risk.
  • Ensure that staff receive training in safeguarding and whistleblowing and develop local procedures to inform staff how to follow local reporting processes.

You can see full details of the regulations not being met at the end of this report.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:

  • Review the advertising of the service to ensure that they are not in breach of advertising standards and guidelines.
  • Implement a system of audit for identifying where quality and/or safety may have been compromised.
  • Review all policies and procedures to ensure they reflect the business of the service and comply with regulations.
  • Use password protection on the scanning machine

5 December 2014

During an inspection in response to concerns

We undertook a responsive review of this service to follow up on concerns raised by a number of people who contacted us. Most of these contacts were anonymous. The concerns raised included questions about staff competency and qualification to undertake ultrasound scans, staff attitude and inadequate response to complaints.

We carried out an announced inspection of the registered location Hello Baby on 5 December 2014. A specialist advisor who was a qualified radiographer and has had training in sonography was part of the inspection team.

Hello Baby (UK) Limited's website and consent form provided information to customers that emphasised that the ultrasound scans offered were for 'entertainment' purposes only and were not a diagnostic scan.

During our inspection visit, we observed that customers were welcomed and treated in a professional and courteous manner. Customers we spoke with were satisfied with the service they received and confirmed that they had signed a consent form before the scan was undertaken and they were aware that if any potential issues were identified then they would be advised to seek medical advice.

We saw that complaints and concerns were responded to both formally in writing and on a social media website.

Staff undertaking the ultrasound scans, called themselves Ultrasound Technicians. We heard that they had received four days training, however information about the content of this training was not available. In addition evidence of systems to monitor and check staff competency and promote their learning and development of ultrasound scanning was not in place.

We also identified gaps in staff training for a number of mandatory subjects including health and safety, infection control and fire safety.

Policies and procedures for systems to promote good practice for infection control were not in place

24 July 2013

During an inspection in response to concerns

We undertook a responsive review of this service to follow up on concerns raised by a person who attended a keepsake scan appointment with a friend.

The person stated they was a qualified sonographer (a sonographer is the job title give to a person who is qualified to undertake scans) themselves and in their opinion the knowledge of the member of staff in relation to the equipment and how they explained the details of the scan was not acceptable.

The person who raised concerns also enquired about the qualification of the sonographer and if they were members of the recognised professional body HPC.

Unfortunately the person who reported these details of concern did so anonymously so we were unable to response directly to them. This report does address the concerns raised and what we found in relation to the particular areas of concern.

A specialist advisor, who has skills within maternity services and scanning, joined the inspection visit.

12 June 2013

During a routine inspection

Hello Baby is a small independent health care business based in the St Helens area. They offer a range of packages of ultrasound scanning photos for expectant parents in 2D, 3D or 4D. The premises are well maintained with a pleasant environment to enjoy the experience of the scan.

During our last inspection visit in December 2012 we had some concerns around the appropriate arrangements being in place to support staff and their training requirements. We also raised concerns at the level of staff awareness of safeguarding vulnerable adults and how to report concerns was not sufficient to ensure people who used the service were safeguarded against the risk of abuse.

At this inspection visit we found the provider had implemented a training matrix (monitoring tool for training) and had a training plan in place for 2013. This included safeguarding vulnerable adults training to raise awareness to staff on how to identify the possible signs of abuse and report to the local authority safeguarding team.

We reviewed staff files which included an annual appraisal for continuous monitoring of staff support and development.

During our inspection we spoke with people who used the service and invited them to share with us their views and experience of the care they received. One person said 'You are not rushed by the staff during your appointment; they treat you with dignity and respect, always considering my privacy.'

6 December 2012

During a routine inspection

The service is a small independent health care business which has recently opened in the St Helens area. They offer ultrasound scanning photos for expectant parents in either 2D, 3D or 4D.

The premises are well maintained with a pleasant environment to enjoy the experience of the scan.

During our inspection we spoke with people who used the service and invited them to share with us their views and experience of the care they received. One person said 'I have been on five different occasions and each time I have had the risks and benefits explained to me prior to the scan.' Another person told us 'The staff are wonderful, helpful at pointing out important information during the scan which is something that doesn't happen within an NHS appointment.'

During our inspection we observed staff being attentive towards their clients, their tone and manner was respectful and caring; The staff showed dignity and respected client's privacy as they delivered the service.

Staff told us that they felt supported by the new management and felt they worked well as a team with their peers.