- Independent hospital
Fulwood Hall Hospital
Assessment report published 26 August 2026
Contents
Ratings - Outpatients
Our view of the service
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.
People's experience of this service
Overall patient feedback was highly positive. Patients consistently described staff as caring, professional, supportive and compassionate, and said they felt treated with dignity and respect throughout their care.
Many patients told us that staff went above and beyond to meet their needs, took time to explain procedures and treatment options clearly, and involved them in decisions about their care.
Patients reported short waiting times, efficient appointments and responsive support when issues arose, including the prompt rearrangement of appointments.
Patients felt reassured and confident in the care they received and valued the kindness, patience and personalised approach shown by staff.
Feedback from the Friends and Family Test (FFT) was also very positive, with 96% of respondents rating their care as ‘very good’.