CMA compliance

Specific information about our relationship with consultants, including key charges made by Spire and any financial interests in Spire held by referring clinicians are set out below.

Compliance with CMA Order 2014

In October 2014, the Competition and Markets Authority (the "CMA") published the Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order 2014 (the "Order") following its investigation into the private healthcare industry. The Order imposed requirements on private hospital operators to disclose certain information in relation to referring clinicians (as defined by the Order) for the benefit of patients. Full details about the investigation and the Order can be found on the CMA web page. The information provided by Spire Healthcare below is required by the Order.

The services provided at Spire Claremont Hospital to referring clinicians and the amounts charged by Spire for those services are set out below:

  • Use of consulting rooms: £18 per hour
  • Fixed space within the facility (ie not on a sessional basis) this is charged to the Consultant under an Accommodation Agreement at £10/sqft/annum
  • Private secretarial services to individual consultants: £15.40 per hour

The following “low-value” services are also provided to referring clinicians with practising privileges at this hospital: 

  • General services to ensure clinical safety (eg in-house training, chaperones)
  • Operational services such as patient bookings/admissions (including online booking and payment for consultations), access to a virtual consultation solution, administrative services and billing, and insurance/indemnity cover in respect of NHS patients
  • General marketing support, including production of consultant directories, promotional activities, web profiles etc
  • Basic workplace amenities such as teas/coffees/refreshments, subsidised meals, car parking, stationery

Spire group Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) Chairs conferences

Spire group Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) Chairs conferences are held twice a year, focusing on clinical safety and governance issues. MAC Chairs from all of Spire’s hospitals are invited to attend, with their partners, and are joined by members of Spire’s senior management.

  • In 2021, conferences were held virtually via Zoom as well as face to face in Aylesbury. The total cost of the events in 2021 was approximately £2,120 and £19,300 respectively.
  • In 2022, the conferences were held in May at Spire’s head office in London and in November at Oulten Hall, Leeds. The total cost of the events in 2022 were approximately £6,463 and £20,338 respectively.
  • In 2023, the conferences were held in June at M Restaurant in London and in November at The Midland Hotel, Manchester. The total cost of the events in 2023 were approximately £2,931 and £20,389 respectively.

Corporate hospitality events

Corporate hospitality events held by the hospital at no charge to referring clinicians are set out below, together with the cost of providing such events:

2021

  • Christmas hampers (December) - 3 @ £144 and 12 @ £68

2022

  • Christmas hampers (December) - 13 @ £68
  • A MAC was meeting held on Wednesday 2 November 2022, where a buffet was provided at £5 per head (all previous meetings on zoom since January 2020)

2023

  • MAC meetings were held in person on 6 March, 25 September and 6 December where a buffet was provided at £5 per head
  • MAC meeting held on 24 July via zoom

Private hospital operators are required to disclose details of referring clinicians practising at their facilities, who have a share or financial interest in those facilities or any equipment used there. Some clinicians may own shares in Spire Healthcare Group plc, which were acquired either at the admission price or through trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.

Where a referring clinician has an individual web page profile on this hospital website, relevant shares and/or financial interests are disclosed there. For referring clinicians who do not have an individual profile, their shares and/or financial interests are shown below:

  • Dr G Rao owns 100% of the Natus Nicolet EDX® EMG / NCS / EP / IOM System

Private hospital operators are required to disclose details of certain paid services provided by referring clinicians to private hospitals operators in addition to exercising practising privileges at that hospital. This information can be found on the referring clinician’s individual web page profile on this hospital website.

  • Mr Peter Goodfellow is Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee at Spire Claremont Hospital. Their role is to provide senior professional advice to the Hospital Director and Director of Clinical Services in order to support effective medical governance and oversight. They are paid £14,000 per annum for this role and are also entitled to receive the following fees for the provision of additional ad hoc services: (i) £750 for chairing a Professional Review Committee; (ii) £200 per hour for attendance at regulatory or other national body meeting (capped at £500); (iii) £500 for each annual medical appraisal undertaken for a doctor designating to Spire for the purposes of revalidation; (iv) £1,000 per annum for undertaking the role of governance lead in addition to MAC Chair; and (v) £200 per hour for the preparation of an independent report (up to a maximum of £500 per report unless otherwise agreed due to complexity) upon request by the Medical Director or Chief Medical Officer. Mr Goodfellow holds less than 0.1% of the shares in Spire Healthcare Group plc.
  • Dr M Wiles has provided pre-operative and improved pre-operative assessment clinics at the hospital. Duties include pre-assessment anaesthetic reviews and are paid £600 per session to provide this service.
  • Mr D Chan-Lam is retained to provide haematological advice on an ad-hoc basis, the fee for these services is £1,000 per month
  • Dr R Townsend, Microbiologist, is retained to provide microbiology advice to the hospital on an ad-hoc basis. The fee for this service is £1,000 per month