SpaMedica Poole

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• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

This means we looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

We have not awarded this service a score for Caring.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Caring.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity.

Staff showed kindness, empathy and compassion to all patients. Sensitive conversations about care and treatment were carried out in private rooms. Staff supported patients to understand and manage their care, treatment or condition. We saw staff taking time to sit with patients and explain their treatment and what would be happening, giving patients opportunities to ask questions if needed. There was enough seating in waiting areas for a family member or carer to accompany patients to their appointments.

Patients were positive about the care and treatment they received. We looked at patient feedback, comments included feedback on staff being friendly, efficient and helpful.

However, we observed several interruptions where staff entered consultation rooms to deliver patient records. These disruptions interrupted the flow of appointments and had the potential to impact the patient experience and continuity of care. The service told us they were progressing with the implementation of a digital record system to improve efficiency and accessibility. A trial was underway, which was expected to minimise disruptions.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Staff understood the individual needs of patients and made sure care, support and treatment met their needs. Staff told us appointments were offered to reflect people’s individual needs. For example, appointments being made at the beginning or end of the day or longer appointments being arranged when required to meet the needs of the patient.

Patients’ communication needs were met to enable them to engage in their care and treatment. Staff communicated with people in ways they could understand, including adapting communication methods for those with additional communication needs. The service had a hearing loop and booked interpreters to support patients to engage in their care, treatment to maximise their experience and outcomes. Care and treatment were planned and delivered in a safe, supportive and holistic way that reflected people’s individual needs, preferences and goals. Leaders and staff worked proactively to identify and remove barriers to care, ensuring people could access and receive the support they needed.

The service had a process to identify patients whose cultural, religious or lifestyle beliefs may influence their choice of medicines. Pre-assessment processes had been reviewed following updated guidance on animal-containing or animal-derived medicines, enabling patients to be appropriately identified and their preferences respected. The service followed national guidance and, where possible, used vegan-friendly formulary medicines.

The hospital had a chaperoning policy. There were notices in patient areas advising patients that they were entitled to have a chaperone present during their consultation, examination, and surgery.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Patients were supported to have choice and control over their own care and to make decisions about their care, treatment and wellbeing. People using the service told us they understood their care and treatment.

Patients were in control of where and when to have their care and treatment. Consultations could be organised at other locations, to support patient independence. This supported patients to plan their care and treatment more effectively. During the assessment we observed staff clearly explaining in a way people could understand, what was going to happen next. Patients were given the opportunity to ask questions.

Staff received equality and diversity training, enabling them to provide inclusive, personalised care that respected people’s individual choices, beliefs and backgrounds.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff were alert to patients’ needs and took the time to observe, communicate and engage people in discussions about their immediate needs. All patients’ had a pre-operative assessment where the nurses discussed immediate needs.

Staff were aware of and managed any specific needs, such as underlying patient conditions or changes in observations. Staff were able to quickly recognise when patients required urgent help or support. They used tools and technology, including regular blood pressure monitoring, to support timely assessment and intervention. The service had a management and transfer of a deteriorating person policy.

Staff in reception could observe busy areas through the CCTV in the car park and main patient areas to maintain patient safety and respond to concerns when required to keep patients safe. There was clear signage located both internally and externally informing patients that 24 hour CCTV was in operation. There were emergency call bells in the theatre waiting rooms so staff could act promptly if needed.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Leaders actively promoted staff wellbeing and fostered a supportive working environment. Staff had access to a range of resources to support their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing through the SpaMedica & Me wellbeing hub. Additional support was available through staff networks and groups, including Menopause Friends.

The service recognised and celebrated staff contributions in a variety of ways. Staff told us the provider funded quarterly team breakfasts, lunches or snack gatherings through the SpaMedica Snacks initiative, providing opportunities for teams to come together and celebrate achievements. Staff achievements were also recognised through initiatives such as star of the month and the quarterly hero awards. Leaders invested in team cohesion and morale. For example, earlier in the year staff had participated in a team breakfast followed by a team-building day, which helped strengthen relationships, promote teamwork and support staff wellbeing. Staff felt valued, appreciated and supported by leaders.

Leaders promoted staff development at all levels through regular 1:1 meetings, appraisals and career development conversations. Staff were encouraged to pursue learning opportunities and develop their skills and experience. Staff described how the service supported career progression through access to training and development opportunities, enabling staff to progress into more senior roles. The provider offered leadership development through the SpaMedica Aspire programme, designed to develop leadership knowledge, skills and confidence. At the time of our inspection, seven members of staff at the service were participating in the programme. Staff told us these opportunities had helped them develop professionally and prepare for future career progression.

Staff spoke positively about working for the service and told us they felt respected, supported and valued by leaders. They described the team as friendly, caring and supportive, and said there was a culture of kindness and mutual respect among colleagues. Staff were proud of the care they delivered and the difference they made to patients.

Staff survey results reflected this positive culture. In the most recent annual employee survey, 100% of staff said they felt patients would rate the care provided by the service as excellent. In addition, 100% of staff said they were proud to tell others they worked for the organisation. The service shared results on ‘Great Place to Work Survey’. The employee satisfaction score had shown improvement from 75% in 2024 to 92% in 2025 which was above the satisfaction target of 83%. The service had a Great Place to Work suggestion box ‘You said, we did’. One suggestion from staff had been to allocate time to complete mandatory training. The service responded to the suggestion and tried to accommodate this, when possible, for overdue training.