Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital

Updated 5 June 2026

We assessed Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital from 25 to 26 February 2026.

The Nuffield Health Exeter 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 these assessment due to the age of ratings. The overall rating of Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital remains good, all services were rated good.

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 reviewed care records, policies, and other documentation relevant to the service.

In our assessment of surgical and outpatient services, we found improvements had been made since our last inspection and breaches previously identified had either been addressed or were in the process of being addressed.

Updated 26 November 2025

We assessed diagnostic imaging at Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital on 25 to 27 February 2026.

We carried out the assessment due to the age of ratings of the service. At our previous inspection of the service, we rated diagnostic imaging combined with outpatients. At the time of this assessment, we assessed and rated the services separately. We assessed 33 quality statements.

Diagnostic imaging services provided included: plain x-ray, ultrasound, mammography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Computer tomography (CT) scans were offered. However, as these were completed by a separate Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered provider we have not assessed care delivered by CT staff as part of this assessment. The service carried out almost 10,000 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.

We rated the service as good. The service had a good learning culture and patients were protected and kept safe. There were suitably trained and qualified staff. Care and treatment was based on latest evidence and good practice guidance. Patients were treated with kindness and compassion. The service was responsive to patient needs. Leaders were visible and knowledgeable. However, the service did not always display radiation warning signs. Fire extinguishers were not clearly labelled in the MRI area. There were some out-of-date single use items. Local policies contained incorrect information and the service's local rules were not up to date. The service did not have specific meetings to monitor the safe use of ionising radiation.

Updated 26 November 2025

Date of Assessment: 25 and 26 February 2026

We conducted an onsite unannounced assessment visit of Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital. We carried out the assessment due to the age of ratings of the service. We assessed all quality statements from the safe, effective, responsive, caring and well-led key questions.

The outpatient department comprised of 12 consultant rooms and 3 treatment rooms. There was a physiotherapy suite and a gym area as well as areas in which staff carried out optimisation checks and pre-assessment check for patients requiring surgery. The Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital had a pathology laboratory on site which was not inspected at this time.

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. Staff understood how to report incidents and learning from these was shared across the team. They also had access to a wide range of e‑learning and were up to date with their mandatory training.

Updated 26 November 2025

The date of assessment 25 February 2026.

Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital is an independent hospital within the Nuffield Health group and has provided services in Exeter since 1963. The hospital offers outpatient and surgical services to adults, alongside a limited range of services for children and young people. It provides a range of some non‑complex, non‑cosmetic surgical procedures for young people aged 16 and 17. Children under 16 years old can be seen for some outpatient consultations only. In December 2025 there were 35 outpatient appointments for children and younger adults.

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 imaging for more information.

We rated the service as good. Staff described a collaborative and supportive culture, with effective leadership and teamwork. Staff understood how to report incidents and told us learning was shared across teams. They had access to a range of electronic training resources and were up to date with mandatory training. However, staff who provide care and treatment to children and young people were not trained to the recommended level of safeguarding children training as directed by national guidance.

Updated 26 November 2025

We carried out an onsite unannounced assessment visit of Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital on 25 and 26 February 2026. Surgical services provided include orthopaedic and general surgery, and cosmetic procedures for private and NHS patients. The location had 3 theatres, 1 endoscopy suite, 1 ward with 21 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 previous breaches had been addressed or were in the process of being addressed. Cleaning was now closely monitored, the service had received Joint Advisory Group (JAG) accreditation, and the replacement flooring process had begun. We found no new breaches.

We rated the service as good. 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. Staff had access to a range of electronic learning and were up to date with mandatory training. However, we observed some areas where infection prevention and control required improvement. These were raised with staff, and most were responded to at the time of our visit or were in the process of being addressed.

Updated 26 October 2016

• Risk was managed and incidents were reported and acted upon with feedback and learning provided to staff.

• Treatment and care were effective and delivered in accordance with best practice and recognised national guidelines. There was excellent multidisciplinary team working within the service.

• Patients were at the centre of the service and the priority for staff. Innovation, high performance and the high quality of care were encouraged and acknowledged. Patients and their relatives were respected and valued as individuals. Feedback from those who used the service had been exceptionally positive. Patients spoke highly of the approach and commitment of the staff who provided a service. Staff went above and beyond their usual duties to ensure patients received compassionate care.

• Patients received excellent care from dedicated, caring and well trained staff who were skilled in working and communicating with patients and their families.

• Staff understood the individual needs of patients and designed and delivered services to meet them.

• There were clear lines of local management in place and structures for managing governance and measuring quality. The leadership and culture of the service drove improvement and the delivery of high-quality individual care.

• All staff were committed to patients and their relatives and to their colleagues. There were high levels of staff satisfaction with staff saying they were proud of the department as a place to work. They spoke highly of the culture and levels of engagement from managers.

• Staff worked in an open and honest culture with a desire to get things right.