Updated
26 August 2026
Fulwood Hall Hospital is a private hospital in Preston, Lancashire and operated by Ramsay Health Care Operations Limited. The hospital provides surgery, outpatients and diagnostic imaging services for NHS and private fee paying adult patients.
At this assessment we looked at outpatients and diagnostic imaging services and carried out an unannounced inspection during 7 and 8 April 2026. The purpose of the assessment was to re-rate the outpatients and diagnostic imaging services due to the age of the previous rating and to follow up regulatory breaches from the previous inspection in December 2018.
Our assessment only looked at the outpatients and diagnostic imaging services at Fulwood Hall Hospital. Our findings for both these service groups can be found in the services section of this report.
At this assessment we identified 1 breach of regulations in relation to good governance in outpatients and 1 breach of regulations relating to good governance in diagnostic imaging.
At the last inspection we rated the location as good. The overall rating of Fulwood Hall Hospital remains good following this inspection
Updated
24 March 2026
Fulwood Hall Hospital offers a range of diagnostic imaging services, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fluoroscopy, ultrasound and X-ray scans.
MRI scans are carried out from a mobile MRI scan facility. We did not assess the MRI equipment, facilities and staffing because this was managed by the corporate provider and not in the scope of this inspection. However, we looked at care records and spoke with patients who underwent MRI scans during the inspection.
We commenced an assessment of the diagnostic imaging service at Fulwood Hall Hospital and carried out an unannounced inspection during 7 and 8 April 2026. The purpose of the assessment was to re-rate the diagnostic imaging service due to the age of the previous rating and to follow up regulatory breaches from the previous inspection in December 2018.
During the inspection, we spoke with 7 patients and looked at 9 care records. We also spoke with 13 staff and managers, and reviewed policies and other documents relating to the service.
At this assessment we identified 1 breach of regulations relating to good governance in the diagnostic imaging service.
Our overall rating for diagnostic imaging remained the same. We rated it as good.
Staff protected people from abuse and managed incidents well. Staff assessed people’s risks and needs, gained their consent and worked well together as a team. The service managed infection risks well and the premises and equipment were suitably maintained. The service had enough staff to care for people and keep them safe.
Staff treated people with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity and took account of their individual needs and choices. Most people experienced positive outcomes following their care and treatment and could access the service when they needed it, in a way that promoted equality and protected their rights.
Leaders promoted a positive work culture based on equality, diversity and inclusion. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. Leaders worked collaboratively with stakeholders and partners to plan and manage services.
However, the service did not consistently ensure that all staff, particularly consultants with practising privileges and bank staff, were up to date with mandatory training requirements. The service did not always have effective governance processes for managing recruitment and training records for consultants working under practising privileges.
Updated
24 March 2026
Fulwood Hall Hospital is a private hospital in Preston, Lancashire and operated by Ramsay Health Care Operations Limited. The hospital provides surgery, outpatients and diagnostic imaging services for NHS and private fee-paying adult patients. At this assessment we looked at outpatients and diagnostic imaging services.
The hospital has 28 inpatient and 12 day-case beds. Facilities include 3 main operating theatres with laminar flow and an endoscopy and minor operations unit. Diagnostic imaging services, include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound and X-ray scans.
There are 8 private consulting rooms, a treatment room for minor procedures, an outpatient treatment room, and a pre-operative assessment unit for screening and assessing patients prior to surgery. There is also a physiotherapy and sports therapy department including a gymnasium. Physiotherapists support orthopaedic and spinal inpatients, and pre-operative assessment appointments.
We carried out an unannounced assessment on 7 and 8 April 2026 using our comprehensive methodology. We assessed all quality statements from the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led key questions.
During the inspection, we spoke with 6 patients and looked at 5 care records. We also spoke with staff and managers, and reviewed policies and other documents relating to the service.
At this assessment we identified 1 breach of regulations relating to good governance in the outpatient service.
Our overall rating for the outpatients’ service remained the same. We rated it as good.
Safe systems were embedded across outpatient pathways, and the service had a proactive and positive culture of safety. The service worked with people to understand and manage risks and had enough staff to provide care. The service assessed and managed the risk of infection and made sure that medicines were safe.
The service planned and delivered people’s care and treatment in line with legislation and ensured that outcomes met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves. Patients gave informed consent prior to treatment, and the consent process was thorough.
The service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Patient feedback was highly positive. Patients we spoke with described staff as caring, supportive, and professional. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff.
Care was person centred and the service made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. The service made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes.
Care was person centred and the service understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities. The service made it easy for people to give feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. People could access care when they needed it, and staff and leaders considered information about groups who may experience inequality in experience or outcomes.
The service had inclusive leaders at all levels with the skills, knowledge and experience to lead effectively. Staff described a positive culture where they felt able to speak up. Systems and processes were in place to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. The service demonstrated learning and improvement, including changes to pathways, wound care processes and patient communication.
However, the service did not always have robust arrangements in place to support the assurance of training compliance, escalation, and timely management of practising privileges requirements.
Updated
11 September 2025
We conducted an on-site, comprehensive inspection of surgical services on 4 December 2025. The inspection was undertaken due to the aged rating of the service.
We rated the surgery service as Good.
Surgical services provided at this location included orthopaedics, neurosurgery, general surgery, urology, gynaecology, breast, dental, ophthalmology, plastics and cosmetics. There was one ward where surgical patients were cared for.
In our assessment of surgery, we found that patient areas were welcoming and safe for patient care. Staff knew how to keep patients safe and were supported to do so. Leaders were focused on good outcomes for all patients who met the inclusion criteria. Staff provided compassionate care where privacy and dignity were maintained. Staff communicated well with patients and those close to them and put them at ease throughout their stay. Leaders had knowledge of the service and were focused on continuous improvement.
The last inspection identified shortfalls in the completion of the World Health Organisation (WHO) checklists. The WHO checklist is a patient safety tool designed to reduce surgical errors and complications by improving team communication and confirming critical steps before, during, and after operations. The provider was told that they must ensure that World Health Organisation (WHO) checklists are undertaken fully and correctly, according to guidelines, before and after every surgical episode. This inspection found that the WHO checklists were completed fully and appropriately in the records we reviewed.
The last inspection identified that intra-operative temperatures were not always taken and the service was told that it should make improvements. We found evidence that showed that the service had made improvements.