SpaMedica achieves its 13th ‘Outstanding’ CQC rating

All 35 SpaMedica hospitals inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have been rated as ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’, consolidating the company’s reputation as a leading provider of NHS cataract surgery.

SpaMedica’s hospitals in Doncaster and Newcastle-under-Lyme are the latest to receive the CQC’s highest rating, taking the total number of ‘Outstanding’ SpaMedica hospitals to 13, with a further 22 sites rated as ‘Good.’ ‘Outstanding’ hospitals are described by the CQC as ‘performing exceptionally well,’ while ‘Good’ hospitals are ‘performing well and meeting expectations.’

SpaMedica’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Woodward, said: “We’re extremely proud of all our hospitals for delivering the best possible care to our patients and it’s fantastic to see everyone’s efforts reflected in our recent inspection outcomes, with over a third of our hospitals achieving an ‘Outstanding’ rating following inspection. We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the NHS to help thousands of patients across the country regain their independence and quality of life.”

100% of patients who attended SpaMedica Doncaster for cataract surgery said they would recommend the service to others. At the company’s Newcastle-under-Lyme hospital, 99.9% of patients said that waiting times, hospital facilities and the outcome of their treatment was very good.

Inspections at other SpaMedica hospitals praised the company’s short waiting times, innovative dry lab training facilities, highly skilled surgeons, and caring employees who ‘go the extra mile.’

Catherine Campbell, the CQC’s Head of Hospital Inspection, described SpaMedica’s hospitals in Poole and Gloucester as “an exemplar of best practice which others can, and should, learn from.”

Wakefield’s report noted how staff went to the aid of two patients who had become stranded in snow following their hospital visit – team members arranged food and overnight accommodation for the pair. Meanwhile, staff at SpaMedica Romford were praised for implementing a variety of initiatives to support patients with dementia.

Richard Woodward added: “It’s fantastic to see our teams recognised for their hard work, not only in providing excellent care and helping patients achieve good visual outcomes, but also for our training facilities, and the work we do in sharing our resources – such as our dry labs, available for all trainee surgeons to use – to help support future ophthalmologists.”

More than 16,000 patients have given SpaMedica hospitals a rating of 5-stars on NHS UK.

Doncaster and Newcastle-under-Lyme join SpaMedica sites in Bromley, Gloucester, Liverpool, Peterborough, Poole, Preston, Romford, Skelmersdale, Stockton, Wakefield and Widnes in achieving ‘Outstanding’ status.

Full reports of all SpaMedica CQC inspections can be found on the CQC website.