CQC Regulated, Three Years and Counting
Our Bakers Yard clinic operates under Care Quality Commission registration, the same independent regulator that oversees NHS hospitals, private clinics and care homes across England.
Who the CQC Are, in Plain Language
The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator that oversees health and adult social care across England. It came into being in 2009 under the Health and Social Care Act, and its remit covers everything from large NHS trusts down to single-room private clinics like ours at Bakers Yard.
If Ofsted is the body inspecting schools, the CQC is the equivalent for healthcare. They register providers, inspect them on a rolling cycle, publish ratings, and take enforcement action when standards drop. Any clinic in England carrying out regulated activities, and obstetric ultrasound is one of those activities, has to be registered.
Numi Scan Gosforth has held that registration since opening, and we operate under it day in, day out. Two years of inspectable record-keeping, equipment maintenance logs, training audits and patient feedback, all visible to the regulator if and when they call.
What Sits Within the CQC's Remit
Six core functions keep regulated healthcare honest in England: here's the shape of them.
- Registering every health and adult social care provider that meets the threshold
- Inspecting registered services on a rolling cycle to verify ongoing compliance
- Issuing enforcement action, including suspension or deregistration, where standards slip
- Publishing inspection reports and ratings publicly so anyone can read them
- Safeguarding vulnerable patients and adults receiving regulated care
- Acting on intelligence and complaints from the public, staff and other regulators
For more information about the CQC and to view provider ratings, visit www.cqc.org.uk
The Five Key Questions, Answered
The CQC assesses every regulated provider in England against the same five fundamental questions. Here's the honest version of how Numi Scan Gosforth measures up to each.
Safe
Are people kept safe from harm? Our infection control, equipment maintenance cycles, ALARA scanning principles and trained staff sit behind every appointment. The room is cleaned and reset between every booking.
Effective
Does the care actually deliver good outcomes? Our sonographers work to evidence-based protocols on the GE Voluson, and every scan ends with a written report carrying the sonographer's registration number: full traceability, no shortcuts.
Caring
Are patients treated with dignity and respect? Pregnancy is intimate and emotionally charged territory. Two years in Gosforth has taught us how to read the room: when to talk, when to step back, when an appointment needs more time.
Responsive
Are services shaped around the patient's needs? Same-day bookings where possible, ten-guest scan rooms for the wider family, accessible ground-floor entrance, and a 24-hour cancellation policy that gives families breathing room.
Well-Led
Does the leadership culture support high-quality care? Day-to-day operations are overseen by the Numi Scan group leadership, with continuous training, regular equipment audits, and a feedback loop that includes every patient who leaves a Google review.
What That Means for the Family on the Bed
CQC registration is the floor, not the ceiling. Here's the working set of standards we hold ourselves to on every booking, across both our Newcastle and sister-clinic operations.
Open Books, Public Records
Independent regulation only works if the public can actually see the records. Our CQC inspection history is published in full at cqc.org.uk; you can read every report yourself. Concerns are welcome at our reception desk first; if you'd rather raise something with the regulator directly, the CQC's contact route is on their website.