Nuffield Health North Staffordshire 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

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 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.

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 evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

All patient feedback we gained on the inspection was positive about care and experience at the hospital. Patients told us they had always had good experiences at the hospital; they felt “listened to” and found staff “obliging and helpful” and described staff “going above and beyond”. Patients told us staff greeted them upon arrival and were friendly, caring, and kind. Comments about staff included, “staff are lovely” and “they fully explained what was happening next” and “I’m very satisfied with everything.” Thank you, cards were on display, in the department and a member of the outpatient team named in a 5 star google review.

We observed staff interacting with patients and those close to them in a respectful and considerate way. Staff attitudes and behaviours when interacting with patients showed that they were discreet, respectful and responsive, providing patients with help, emotional support and advice at the time they needed it. We saw staff supported patients to understand and manage their care, treatment or condition. We observed staff maintained the confidentiality of information about patients. Staff said they could raise concerns about disrespectful, discriminatory or abusive behaviour or attitudes towards patients without fear of the consequences.

Patients were asked to give feedback on their care through feedback on care posters and cards. The posters were highly visible in all patient areas and situated on walls, coffee tables, and clinic rooms. The hospital friends and family test showed results of 90% on overall experience, on how satisfied patients were with the service at Nuffield. 93% of patients felt they were given privacy when discussing their treatment, and 93% felt they were treated with dignity and respect. Results also demonstrated staff treated patients with care and compassion throughout their visit, and this was reflected in the overall experience being scored at 94%.

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.

The department made adjustments for patients, for example, by ensuring people’s access to premises and by meeting patients’ specific communication needs. Nuffield Health met the required Accessible Information Standard and provided staff with a standard operating procedure. The standard is to ensure a consistent approach to identifying, recording, flagging, sharing and meeting the information and communication support needs of patients, service users, carers and parents, where those needs relate to a disability, impairment or sensory loss. Through the assessment of needs processes, the hospital initial letter and assessments following that asked patients if they had any specific communication needs and to let staff know what these were so the right support could be incorporated into their care.

Patients gave positive feedback about the service. Staff made sure patients and those close to them understood their care and treatment. Information could be provided in a form accessible to the particular patient group, for example, in easy read. The service had access to British Sign Language and interpreter support. The hospital also had a hearing loop available for patient and staff use. Staff received training in equality and diversity, so they understood, valued, and celebrated difference. Staff told us they could approach a consultant to change the order of their clinic list to accommodate a patient that may struggle sitting in the main waiting area.

Staff told us they held patient experience forums which provided opportunities for patients to contribute to service development, share experiences and influence improvements. It also provided an opportunity for the hospital to share their proposals for new services with those who use them. Membership of the patient forum was open to all registered patients and aimed to reflect the patient profile, and be inclusive of different ages, genders and ethnicity The forum met twice a year, in person and dates were provisionally booked a year in advance to encourage attendance.

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.

The hospital accepted both privately paying patients and patients from the NHS. On their website, patients were able to choose a consultant within the specialty they required and could also choose from appointment times and dates available to suit them. Payment options were available for private patients. Patients were given a choice to attend a Nuffield gym where physiotherapy was available to support them on their recovery journey.

There were posters in patient areas highlighting the chaperone service and informing people of how to request a chaperone. Chaperones can help maintain a person’s dignity during intimate examinations or procedures and can provide emotional support and reassurance. However, a patient told us her mother had been used twice as a chaperone and consent was not gained for this. We observed other examples on the day of assessment, and chaperones were used appropriately.

Reception staff asked patients who struggled with their mobility if they needed support, for example to walk from the waiting room to the clinic waiting area, rather than assuming they required support.

A patient fed back that at an appointment they were given information which supported them to make choices and take control of their decisions around treatment. After a consultation years before, a patient had decided not to go ahead with surgery and waited until now when they had felt the time was right for them.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service was good in how they listened to and understood people’s needs, views, and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs at the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern, or distress.

Patients received prompt action when contacting the service. Patients could access the service when they needed to and invited on the same day for review of their concerns. The hospital had 24-hour cover from a resident medical officer. We saw responsive appointments made for patients calling in with post-operative concerns that required follow up in the department. We saw 1 patient had called the hospital at 09.30 and was reviewed by the consultant and had medication prescribed by 13.30. We saw call times into the department were audited, 55.6% of offered calls were answered within the targeted time, and an action plan in place to reduce the number of calls missed.

Two other patients we spoke with had contacted the department that day with post-operative concerns; we saw both patients attend clinic. The patient's immediate needs were comprehensively reviewed, and appropriate action was taken. Staff listened to patients who were given the opportunity to ask questions or raise queries in relation to their care and treatment.

Staff reacted quickly to the immediate needs of a patient who would struggle to wait. There was a quiet area available to patients who may struggle waiting in the main area. Staff gave emotional support to patients when they needed it. Staff told us they had a call bell available in clinic rooms for alerting staff when help was required, for example if someone fainted.

Patients could complete surveys to ensure their needs, views, and wishes were fed back to the service. Give feedback on care posters were situated in good view of patients throughout the department.

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

Staff said they felt respected, supported and valued. They felt positive and proud to be working for the hospital and were proud of their team. Staff had access to support for their own physical and emotional health needs through wellbeing services offered to them. There was an emotional wellbeing champion available to staff. The provider recognised staff success within the service for example, through staff awards and their People Newsletter.

Staff had free access to gym membership and a reduced rate for family members. Staff were also offered free health insurance and were able to access Nuffield Health's services.

Freedom to speak up posters were very visible in staff areas around the hospital. Staff we spoke with all knew who they would go to if they wanted to speak up. There were 2 freedom to speak up guardians, and staff knew their names and where to locate them. Staff reported they felt comfortable approaching their line manager with any concerns, and human resources if required.

Flexible working arrangements were in place for staff who had specific shift requirements, and we were told by staff that flexible working arrangements were generally accepted where the business could accommodate them.

Staff had access to personalised support which recognised the diversity of a workforce with proactive and reactive measures. Nuffield Health ensured that employees could access an employee voice engagement survey to provide feedback either through an email invitation or a quick response code. Senior staff told us Nuffield Health promotes an inclusive culture where diversity is celebrated, and colleagues are encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work. Several colleague networks and groups were available which provided support, education, advocacy and opportunities for engagement.

Staff appraisals included conversations about career development and how it could be supported. The hospital is registered with Women in Hospitality, Travel and Tourism (WiHTL) which offers an accredited apprenticeship increasing inclusivity. The hospital also had a senior staff nurse accepted onto the Ethnic Future Leaders Programme.

The provider had policies in place to ensure that staff with protected characteristics felt included and respected within the service. Staff told us the hospital promotes events to provide opportunities for education, celebration of diversity, sharing lived experiences and fostering a culture of inclusion across the organisation. One member of staff told us it greatly improved her wellbeing being part of a dyslexia support group.

Staff had access to resources to support them taking breaks. There was a designated staff room which included dining and hydration stations. Fresh food was cooked daily and staff could pre order meals with special dietary requirements.

Staff sickness rates were monitored and no concerns around sickness in the department. Over the last 12 months the department had seen a 2.9% sickness rate which was monitored to support staff returning to work following extended periods of absence. Staff were supported on their return and return to work support offered.

Staff Survey results for the main outpatient department for June 2026 showed staff participation of 100%. 94% of staff said they were encouraged to set goals, and 91% felt supported by management. One of the lowest engagement scores showed staff were unhappy with the environment in outpatients, they didn't feel they had enough room, with clinic rooms feeling small. This was identified last year through engagement, this year saw actions put into place to create more space.

Staff leaving the hospital had exit interviews, these were completed centrally and any themes fed back to the hospital. The hospital reported there were no themes currently under review from the last report.