Nuffield Health Cheltenham Hospital

Updated 29 July 2026

We assessed Nuffield Health Cheltenham Hospital from 25 to 26 March 2026. The service remained rated good overall, all services were rated good.

The Nuffield Health Cheltenham Hospital is an independent hospital, which is part of the Nuffield Health group. This assessment looked at all services provided to include; surgery, outpatients, diagnostic imaging, and children and young people. We carried out this assessment due to the age of ratings.

In each service we assessed 33 quality statements for the 5 key questions: safe, effective, responsive, caring and well-led. During the assessment, we spoke with staff, leaders and service users. We observed care. We reviewed care records, policies, and other documentation relevant to the service.

We found a breach of regulations in relation to mandatory training.

Updated 27 November 2025

We assessed diagnostic imaging at Nuffield Health Cheltenham Hospital on 25 to 26 March 2026.

We carried out the assessment of diagnostic imaging due to the age of ratings. The service’s previous diagnostic imaging inspection was under our focused methodology in August 2022 where we inspected and rated the safe and well-led key questions only. The ratings for caring and responsive were given in 2016 where diagnostic imaging was combined with outpatients. We had not previously rated effective. At this assessment, we assessed all 33 quality statements across all key questions.

Diagnostic imaging services provided included: plain x-ray, ultrasound, mammography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT) and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans. The service also provided theatre radiography services.

The service carried out almost 11,000 scans in the 12 months prior to our assessment.

The quality of children and young people’s care and treatment undergoing diagnostic imaging procedures was not reviewed as part of the diagnostic imaging assessment. The children and young people’s assessment covered care for people under the age of 18.

This assessment was included as part of a pilot which looked at new and innovative ways of fulfilling CQC’s regulatory obligations. This was conducted with the consent of the provider.

Safe:

The service had a good learning culture where staff and patients could raise concerns. Managers investigated incidents thoroughly. Patients were protected and kept safe because staff understood local safeguarding arrangements. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience in the service to ensure high quality care and treatment. Managers made sure staff received training and had regular appraisals to maintain high-quality care. Staff managed medicines safely. Staff understood and managed risks from the environment. However, the service did not always label MRI equipment correctly. Stock was not always stored correctly.

Effective:

Patients were involved in assessments of their needs. Staff reviewed assessments taking account of patient’s physical emotional, communication and personal care needs. Patient outcomes met expectations. Patient’s comfort was observed throughout the procedures. Staff made sure patients understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent. Care and treatment was based on latest evidence and good practice guidance. However, printed procedures were not always in date.

Caring:

Patients were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated patients as individuals and supported their preferences. Staff responded to patients in a timely way. Patients had the opportunity to ask questions from allied health professionals. The service supported staff wellbeing.

Responsive:

Patients were involved in decisions about their care and treatment. The service provided information which patients could understand. Patients were invited to give feedback, knew who to speak with if they had concerns and were confident the service took their concerns seriously. Patients were involved in making decisions about their care and understood the need for the recommended diagnostic procedures.

Well-led:

There was a culture based on speaking up, listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities.

Updated 27 November 2025

Date of Assessment: 25 and 26 March 2026

We conducted an onsite unannounced assessment visit of Nuffield Health Cheltenham Hospital. We assessed quality statements from the safe, effective, responsive, caring and well-led key questions.

The Outpatient Department at Nuffield Health Cheltenham Hospital offered a wide range of services, with 12 consulting rooms, delivered through both nurse-led and consultant-led clinics. The service was open Monday to Friday between 7.45 am and 8.15pm. The service also provided clinics on a Saturday as and when required. There were a mixture of specialities using the outpatient services which included orthopaedic, audiology, gynaecology, respiratory cardiology, Urology, ENT, Rheumatology, Neurology, Cosmetic, Dermatology and Sports Injury. The service also ran a dedicated wound clinic to support post-procedure patients.

The service received both private and NHS referrals. At the time of our assessment 97% of patients were privately funded. During the year 2025, Nuffield Health Cheltenham Hospital treated 38,692 patients.

The hospital’s core service is surgery. Where outpatient arrangements mirrored those in surgery, findings have been reported in the surgery section.

During the assessment, we spoke with staff, leaders and service users. We reviewed care records, policies, and other documentation relevant to the service.

We rated the service as good. Staff delivered compassionate, person‑centred care and described a collaborative culture where they felt well supported by both colleagues and the management team.

Updated 27 November 2025

The date of assessment 25 and 26 March 2026.

Nuffield Health Cheltenham Hospital is an independent hospital within the Nuffield Health group. The hospital offers outpatient and surgical services to adults, alongside a limited range of services for children and young people. The service provides a range of surgical procedures for young people aged 16 to 17 years, following an assessment of their individual care needs. Within outpatient services, consultations are provided to children aged 0 to 3 years. Children and young people aged 3 to 17 years can have access to non-invasive procedures, including phlebotomy and nurse-led interventions such as dressing changes and suture removal. Diagnostic and imaging services for children and young people aged 3 to 17 years, include X-ray and ultrasound. For young people aged 16 to 17 years, additional procedures such as fluoroscopy-guided interventions (this is the use real-time, moving X-ray imaging (fluoroscopy) to help doctors perform minimally invasive medical procedures) are available where clinically indicated. Physiotherapy services are also provided for young people aged 16 and 17 years as part of their surgical pathway during their inpatient stay.

Between April 2025 and March 2026, there were 86 outpatient attendances for children and young people aged 0 to 15 years. During the same period, there were 312 attendances for young people aged 16 to 18 years. Surgical procedures for 16–17-year-olds from April 2025 to March 2026 there were 43. Diagnostic and imaging Children and Young People for the timescale of March 2025 to March 2026 represented 1.6% of the total images taken.

We undertook this assessment due to the timescale since the last inspection in 2016. We assessed all quality statements from the safe, effective, responsive, caring and well-led key questions.

Surgery was the core service at this location, and we will refer to this report and outpatients and diagnostic and imaging for more information regarding this location.

We rated the service as good. Staff described a supportive and collaborative culture, underpinned by effective leadership and strong teamwork. Staff understood incident reporting processes and told us that learning was shared across teams. They had access to electronic training resources, and were up to date with mandatory training. However, staff who provided care and treatment to children and younger adults had not completed safeguarding children training to the level set out by national guidance.

Safe:

The service demonstrated a positive learning culture in which staff and patients felt able to raise concerns. Incidents were investigated, and staff understood safeguarding processes to help maintain patient safety. There were sufficient staff with the appropriate skills, qualifications, and experience to deliver safe care. However, staff providing care to children and young people had not completed safeguarding training to the level as set out by national best practice guidance. There was a small, designated area for children in outpatients and younger people undergoing surgery were provided with a single occupancy room.

Effective:

Parents and/or guardians were involved in the assessment of needs of children and young people. Assessments were regularly reviewed and reflected patients’ physical, emotional, communication, and personal care requirements. Outcomes met expected standards. Staff ensured patients and their families understood care and treatment to support informed consent. Care and treatment were delivered in line with current evidence-based guidance.

Caring:

Children, young people, and their parents and/or guardians were treated with kindness, compassion, and respect. Staff maintained privacy and dignity, delivered person-centred care, and responded in a timely manner. Patients and families were given opportunities to ask questions. The service also promoted staff wellbeing.

Responsive:

Children, young people, and their parents or guardians were involved in decisions about care and treatment. The service provided clear and accessible information to support understanding. Patients were encouraged to give feedback, were aware of how to raise concerns, and were confident these would be addressed.

Well-led:

The service demonstrated a positive culture of speaking up, learning, and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable, and supportive, and staff felt able to provide feedback without fear of bullying or harassment. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and were supported in their professional development.

Updated 27 November 2025

We carried out an onsite unannounced assessment visit of The Nuffield Health Cheltenham Hospital on 25 and 26 March 2026. Surgical services provided include orthopaedic, general surgery and cosmetic procedures for private and NHS patients. The location had 3 theatres, 1 ward with 33 individual patient rooms, 1 day case surgical ward and a physiotherapy department.

We assessed 33 quality statements from the safe, effective, responsive, caring and well-led key questions. During the assessment, we spoke with staff, leaders and patients. We reviewed care records, policies, and other documentation relevant to the service.

At the previous inspection we rated surgery as good. At this assessment the rating remains good. The service had made improvements since the previous inspection however staff training compliance was still low in some areas. We issued 1 breach of regulation for safe care and treatment, as there was not enough staff that had completed the required mandatory training in some training modules. An action plan will be requested upon publication of the final report.

The service provided compassionate and person-centred care. Staff reported a collaborative culture where they felt supported by their colleagues and the management team. Staff knew how to report incidents and learning was shared amongst teams. However, we observed some areas where infection prevention and control required improvement. These were raised with staff at the time of our visit.