CQC upgrades East Anglia Ultrasound Services to good following significant improvements

The Care Quality Commission has upgraded East Anglia Ultrasound Services from requires improvement to good following an inspection in June.

The focused inspection examined progress made after CQC previously issued a warning notice to the service.

At its earlier inspection, CQC identified four breaches of regulation relating to safe care and treatment, person-centred care, safeguarding and management.

Inspectors found the service had now taken sufficient action to address the concerns and was no longer in breach of the regulations.

Safety, effectiveness and leadership were upgraded from requires improvement to good. Caring and responsiveness remained rated good.

Staff were encouraged to report incidents, which were discussed during regular team meetings. The number of reported incidents had increased, with each case investigated and the resulting actions and learning recorded.

Inspectors found staff had completed safeguarding and chaperone training appropriate to their roles. People were asked when booking appointments whether they required a chaperone, allowing the service to make arrangements in advance.

Training had also been introduced to help staff support autistic people and people with learning disabilities.

Staff assessed people’s health, wellbeing and communication requirements to ensure care was appropriate and effective. Additional appointment time was provided when required.

People received feedback forms after their appointments, with responses documented and reviewed by the registered manager.

The service had updated its policies and clinical protocols to reflect the care it provided, helping staff deliver safer and higher-quality services.

Leaders had also developed a documented business and growth strategy explaining how the organisation intended to achieve its vision and values.

East Anglia Ultrasound Services had stopped providing pregnancy-related scans, giving the registered manager more time to complete audits and maintain effective oversight of the service.

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