Spire Claremont Hospital rated ‘Good’ across all areas in first CQC inspection under Spire Healthcare’s ownership

• NHS and private patients treated with warmth and kindness and colleagues trained to care for people with autism and learning disabilities
• The proactive learning culture is praised by the CQC

Spire Claremont Hospital has been rated ‘Good ‘by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in its first inspection since Spire Healthcare Group acquired the hospital in 2021.

Following the unannounced CQC inspection, Spire Claremont received a ‘Good’ overall rating, with ‘Good’ ratings in all areas for being safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led.

Patients said the hospital’s staff treated them with warmth and kindness and that they were well-informed throughout their care journey, from referral to discharge. They said they were given clear information about their treatment, including potential risks and benefits, and felt supported to ask questions and make informed decisions.

The CQC inspectors praised the hospital’s leadership team for fostering a culture of learning, inclusion, and support. The hospital was singled out for its proactive learning culture where staff are empowered to raise concerns and learn from incidents through innovative practices such as “Swarm” meetings and daily safety huddles.

The CQC inspectors also commented positively on Claremont Hospital’s governance and safety systems, noting that a patient passport was in place which enabled staff to provide appropriate care for people with autism and learning disabilities. Colleagues had received training about autism and learning disabilities.

The hospital’s proactive learning culture, including the use of “Swarm” meetings to respond to near misses, was highlighted as an example of good practice.

Spire Claremont Hospital continues to invest in advanced technology and services to deliver greater treatment choice and faster access to healthcare for NHS and private patients. A new £1.5m MRI suite with advanced cardiac imaging was opened in February, while a further £2.6m was invested in a new minor operations suite. Both deliver high quality healthcare services to NHS and private patients.

Spire Claremont Hospital is working in partnership with local NHS Trusts and the Integrated Care Board to help reduce NHS waiting times, by providing timely, high-quality care for patients who have been waiting the longest for treatment.

Tim Smith, Hospital Director at Spire Claremont Hospital, said: "The CQC’s ‘Good’ rating is testament to our focus of delivering outstanding personalised patient care that is safe and compassionate at all times. For this I would like to congratulate the entire clinical and non-clinical team at Spire Claremont Hospital. The inspectors’ recognition of our learning culture and the safe environment we’ve created for staff to grow and thrive reflects the values we live by and work to.”

98% of Spire Healthcare’s inspected hospitals and clinics are rated ‘Good,’ ‘Outstanding’ or the equivalent by health inspectors in Scotland, England and Wales.