Spire Little Aston rated ‘Good’ overall and ‘Outstanding’ in several areas

Spire Little Aston has been rated ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) with surgery services upgraded to ‘Outstanding’ following a comprehensive assessment carried out on during May and June 2026.

Surgery services

For surgery services, the hospital received an ‘Outstanding’ overall rating, as well as for Caring and Well-led with ‘Good’ ratings across the other areas: Safe, Effective, Responsive.

Patients were positive about the staff treating them with warmth and kindness and providing effective care and treatment. Inpatients performed well in the most recent Friends and Family Test (FFT) data, with 100% of responses deemed positive and 79% reported a “very good” overall experience.

Inspectors said the surgery services had a proactive, systematic approach to managing safety. The service also had a determined focus on ensuring that people’s needs, preferences and aspirations were fully recognised and met, they said.

The CQC reported an exceptional, visible and values‑driven culture of person‑centred and non‑discriminatory care.

Outpatients

For outpatients, Little Aston was rated ‘Good’ across all areas (Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive) and ‘Outstanding’ for being Well-led.

Staff treated patients with kindness and compassion, and care and treatment were based on latest evidence and good practice guidance.

All patients told the CQC they were happy with the service they received, and the hospital scored well in their patient survey results.

The inspectors reported that leaders and staff knew the service’s local vision, aims and objectives and understood how their service aligned with this. There was a culture based on speaking up, listening, learning and trust.

Sarah Ivory-Donnelly, CQC deputy director of hospitals, secondary and specialist healthcare in its central region, said:

“During our inspection of surgery services at Spire Little Aston Hospital, we found leaders had built a culture where staff felt genuinely valued and empowered, and that culture was resulting in exceptional care for the people they supported. Everyone we spoke with, from ward staff to consultants, shared a real commitment to improving people’s lives.

“People told us they felt truly listened to, treated as individuals, and didn’t feel like they were being passed through a system. They said staff couldn’t do enough for them, and we saw staff take time to understand what mattered to each individual and adapt their care accordingly. As a result, people felt respected and involved in decisions about their treatment.

“Leaders had a good understanding of risks and performance. They used data and feedback not just to monitor the service, but to drive innovation and improvement. This included introducing a robotic surgery programme and developing new treatment pathways based on people’s outcomes. When something went wrong, staff were honest with people and used what they learned to stop it happening again.

“We also found outpatients was performing well, with people receiving a high standard of care and a strong culture of listening to feedback to shape improvements in the department.

“Spire Little Aston Hospital’s team should be extremely proud of what they’ve achieved. I’d encourage other services to look at our report findings to learn from what they have achieved.”

Vicky Morris, Hospital Director at Spire Little Aston Hospital, said:

“I’m proud of the whole hospital team for achieving a very strong CQC report, demonstrating the hard work and focus we all have on delivering outstanding personalised care to our patients.”

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

The full CQC report on Spire Little Aston Hospital can be read here.