Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital

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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

We looked for evidence that people were always treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. We checked that people’s privacy and dignity was respected, that they understood that they and their experience of how they were treated and supported mattered. We also looked for evidence that every effort was made to take people’s wishes into account and respect their choices, to achieve the best possible outcomes for them.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating remains 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.

The service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

There were no children using the service when we undertook the site visit.

Feedback about children and young people’s (CYP) outpatient services was shared with us following the site visit. January 2026 outpatient feedback showed consistently positive responses across age groups. For example, the question “the doctor and nurse listened to what I had to say” received the highest score across all age ranges. Overall feedback was very positive and demonstrated staff valued and responded to the views of children and young people.

There were gift bags given to children based on their age for example, 2–5-year-old had colouring items and a small toy.

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.

The service adjusted for children and young people. For example, in outpatients when children visited, they had a designated waiting area in an adults waiting area with toys and books etc. Toys were taken into the outpatient room used by the consultant when they were seen to help provide them with an activity.

Younger people who were due for surgery followed an adult surgical pathway. They were given their own room, and their parents or guardians were able to stay with them.

Please refer to surgery, outpatients and diagnostics and imaging reports for more information.

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

The service promoted people’s independence and supported their rights to choice and control over their care and wellbeing. Staff worked with parents or guardians, children and young people to understand individual preferences and any specific needs and made reasonable adjustments to meet these wherever possible.

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 identified and managed risks appropriately for children and young people. Younger people followed the adult surgical pathway, with pre‑operative risk assessments completed by a qualified children’s nurse from another site. Staff monitored observations using a recognised tool and responded to changes in risk promptly.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

There were no dedicated children’s staff. However, Staff felt supported and valued by leaders and colleagues. They were encouraged to contribute to service development and were confident their feedback and concerns would be heard and acted upon.

Please refer to surgery, outpatients, and diagnostic and imaging reports for more information.