Wakefield ultrasound clinic shut over incorrect miscarriage diagnoses

The Care Quality Commission inspected the Baby Ultrasound Clinic Wakefield in May 2022

An ultrasound clinic where some women were wrongly told they had miscarried and babies' genders were incorrectly identified has been shut.

The Baby Ultrasound Clinic, in Wakefield, was rated "inadequate" by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after inspectors identified "significant safety concerns".

Other issues included poor infection control and a lack of staff training.

The clinic said it was now under new management.

The centre in Wood Street, was inspected by the CQC in May.

According to a report inspectors raised a number of issues, including that the centre "did not provide mandatory training in key skills" and that staff "did not have the appropriate accredited safeguarding training or know how to recognise and report abuse".

It also said "the service did not control infection risk well and some equipment was visibly dirty".

Inspectors heard a number of complaints from women who had been given the incorrect gender for their child or had been wrongly told they had miscarried.

The report said there was no record of scans being checked by a second sonographer, though the clinic claimed they were.

It added that when inspectors asked to see the clinic's response to women incorrectly told they had miscarried "we did not receive it".

The CQC report listed 29 areas where the clinic must improve.

The agency added: "Due to the concerns, we used our powers under Section 31 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 to take immediate urgent enforcement action and suspended the service.

"This action prevented the provider from undertaking activity which put people at risk and to make immediate improvements to governance and oversight."

In a statement, Baby Ultrasound Clinic said the Wakefield centre was operated as a franchise and managed by the franchisee, who is no longer there.

A spokesperson added: "This particular clinic has been taken over by new management who are working on this location to get this to the high standard we expect all our clinics to work to."