Patients who attend SpaMedica in Bromley for NHS cataract treatment receive ‘outstanding’ care, confirms the hospital’s first inspection by industry regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The recently published inspection report – which awarded the hospital the highest possible overall rating – reported that “the hospital exceeded expectations and outcomes for patients against relevant national standards” and “feedback from patients was consistently positive about the way staff treated people.”
An ‘outstanding’ grade was awarded across two separate areas, scoring how caring the services were, and how well the hospital responded to people’s needs. The hospital also achieved ‘good’ ratings for being safe, effective and well-led.
Inspectors highlighted the compassion and kindness of staff, stating: “Staff consistently treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and took careful account of their individual needs.” As a result, “Patients praised the way they felt staff took time to interact with them and answer questions.” The report also noted that people did not have to wait long for treatment – “Patients were offered an appointment within a couple of weeks from the date of their optical assessment. The service was able to offer appointment dates and times to suit the needs of the patient.”
The Bromley site is one of 43 hospitals across England operated by SpaMedica, the UK’s largest provider of NHS cataract surgery. Since the hospital opened in November 2020, it has performed more than 6,130 NHS cataract surgeries and received multiple 5-star patient reviews on NHS Choices.
Patients who require transport to and from the hospital benefit from a free door-to-door transport service, which has been invaluable for patients whose friends or family members aren’t available to take them to their appointments: “The hospital provided free transport for patients who met the criteria and paid for taxis or public transport when this could not be used.”
Hospital manager Brad Sims said: “The whole team is thrilled to be awarded an ‘outstanding’ rating and have their commitment to patient care recognised by the Care Quality Commission. We know cataract surgery can be daunting and we work hard to put our patients’ minds at ease, answering their questions and ensuring they have access to all the information they need throughout their treatment.
It’s always incredibly rewarding to see patients emerge from the operating theatre saying they don’t know what they were worried about in the first place, and it’s wonderful to know we’re helping to improve their vision and their quality of life.”
Nicola Wise, CQC’s head of hospital inspection, added: “I was very impressed by the quality of care and treatment at SpaMedica Bromley. We found people received care and treatment very promptly and well within national target times because appointment lists were managed very effectively.
“Staff received appropriate training and the premises and equipment were maintained to high standards – all of which enhanced care people received. Behind the service’s success was management that had good oversight of the issues it faced. They set the right priorities and responded well to risks which could affect patient care.
“I congratulate everyone at the service for achieving this outstanding rating.”
Bromley is the sixth SpaMedica hospital to achieve an ‘outstanding’ rating. All of SpaMedica’s hospitals that have been inspected to date have been rated as good or outstanding.
SpaMedica Bromley’s inspection report is available to view on the CQC website. Other key findings include:
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