SpaMedica praised by health watchdog, as number of hospitals awarded ‘outstanding’ CQC rating hits double figures

All 27 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 Liverpool and Poole are the latest to receive the CQC’s highest rating, taking the total number of ‘outstanding’ SpaMedica hospitals to 10, with a further 17 sites rated as ‘good.’ ‘Outstanding’ hospitals are described by the CQC as ‘performing exceptionally well,’ while ‘good’ hospitals are ‘performing well and meeting expectations.’

The CQC published 778 inspection reports on its website between 20th December 2022 – 20th January 2023. Only 12 of the 778 healthcare providers inspected (1.5%) were rated as outstanding, two of which were SpaMedica Liverpool and SpaMedica Poole.

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 reduce waiting lists and help thousands of patients across the country regain their independence and quality of life.”

SpaMedica Liverpool’s recent report praised the hospital’s ‘exceptionally kind and caring’ staff and excellent patient outcomes: only 0.28% of patients were found to experience the most common complication of cataract surgery – almost four times lower than the national benchmark.

Poole was similarly praised for its patient outcomes and rapid referral-to-treatment times. The report noted they were ‘consistently and significantly better than the England average.’

Inspections at other SpaMedica hospitals highlighted the company’s innovative dry lab training facilities, its highly skilled surgeons, and its caring employees who ‘go the extra mile.’ 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 10,000 patients have given SpaMedica hospitals a rating of 5-stars on NHS UK.

Liverpool and Poole join SpaMedica sites in Bromley, Gloucester, Preston, Romford, Skelmersdale, Stockton, Wakefield and Widnes in achieving ‘outstanding’ status. Bedford, Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Brighton, Bristol, Chelmsford, Coventry, Epsom, Hull, Manchester, Norwich, Southampton, Watford, Wirral, Wokingham and Wolverhampton have been rated ‘good’.

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