Ultrasound bosses ‘lost’ thousands of referrals
AN ULTRASOUND company has been rated inadequate for a second time after equipment covered in ‘dried gel’ and thousands of ‘lost’ referrals were discovered.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) had inspected Mediscan Centre in Oldham and the headquarters of the company behind it, Mediscan Diagnostic Services Limited, in Tameside.
Health commissioners uncovered that there had been more than 3,600 ‘lost’ referrals from the company following scans in the region, which could have put patients at risk of harm.
The company provides ultrasound examinations for NHS and private patients across Greater Manchester, including for transvaginal examinations.
However, inspectors said that one sonographer, a professional who uses ultrasound equipment, was ‘unaware’ what female genital mutilation was.
Mediscan Diagnostic Services Limited did not respond to requests for comment by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The company had been rated inadequate and suspended from carrying out various procedures following a damning inspection by the CQC in the summer.
The latest report, published at the end of October, upheld the inadequate rating and used further urgent enforcement powers to suspend services until November 25. The unannounced visit to Mediscan Centre, on Union Street, concluded that in the areas of safety and leadership, the business was failing.
Crucial issues around infection control were raised again by inspectors.
“We observed aspects of the environment and equipment were visibly unclean, this remained a concern from previous inspections, whilst the clinic was currently suspended we would expect that the appropriate cleaning had taken place ready to resume services,” they said.
“The ultrasound machines in both clinical rooms were visibly unclean with the machine in room one being worse. There was visible evidence of dried ultrasound gel around buttons and probe holders.
“The examination couches in both rooms were wipeable but looked visibly unclean and there was no wipeable cover on the pillow on the couch in room two as per the decontamination policy for the service.”
The CQC ordered the urgent suspension of diagnostic and screening procedures, surgical procedures and treatment of disease, disorder or injury.