Rivers Hospital

On this page

• 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 has remained 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.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. 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.
 

We observed patients, relatives and carers being treated with compassion and kindness. Staff consistently introduced themselves at each interaction and explained their role in each patient’s care journey. Consultants undertaking the second stage of the consent processes took time to discuss the planned surgical procedure, address any questions and provide reassurance regarding potential risks, complications and expected recovery times. 
 

Patients we spoke with told us surgery staff were extremely kind and friendly; they went above and beyond to support patients in their care. 
 

Patients who were particularly nervous or anxious about surgery were given the opportunity to visit the surgery department prior to their procedure, to meet staff and become familiar with the environment.
 

Leaders reviewed and monitored patient feedback at monthly departmental meetings. This included information from patient surveys, compliments, thank you cards and NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) as well as concerns and complaints. FFT is an anonymous feedback tool enabling patients to rate their NHS care. 
 

The service benchmarked itself against the wider organisation. The 2025 Patient-Led Assessment of Care Environment (PLACE) score was 96% for patient privacy, dignity and wellbeing. The Rivers was in the top 5 Ramsay Health locations with the best results for this category. 
 

Surgery records were mostly stored on a digital system. Inpatient paper care records and consents forms were stored securely and scanned into the internal database. Patients’ personal information was stored in line with national general data protection regulations (GDPR). The service held a data protection and information security meeting once a month to ensure good compliance with GDPR and staff received yearly training. 
 

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The service took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Staff understood and respected the personal, cultural, social, and religious needs of patients and how they may relate to care needs. Care was personalised to the individual depending on their needs.

Surgery leaders had introduced a toy electric car for young children attending the department. Recognising that this may be a child’s first experience of surgery and that could be an anxious time, children were given the opportunity to drive themselves to the anaesthetic room. This initiative received very positive feedback from families and helped to make the surgical journey less scary and more enjoyable for children.

All staff received training in equality, diversity and human rights, alongside dementia awareness. The surgical service also had a dementia lead who was there for advice and support for all staff, people living with dementia and their families and carers.

Furthermore, the service implemented a Blue Sheet scheme used on patients’ beds to give staff a visual prompt to indicate the patient may have a form of cognitive impairment and require specialised person-centered care.

We reviewed 5 care plans and saw evidence that care had been tailored to individual needs and personal circumstances.

The services policies and procedures supported staff to deliver personalised care that was responsive to individual patient needs. For example, a dedicated framework for caring for patients requiring additional support provided staff with clear guidance on the resources, reasonable adjustments, and training available to help them meet patients’ specific needs and deliver high quality, individualised care. 
 

We scored the service as 3. 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.
 

Patients told us that staff had supported them throughout their care journey. At pre-admission appointments they were told what to expect during and after surgery and had been given the opportunity to ask questions. 
Post operative care was discussed with patients both verbally and through written aftercare information leaflets.

Patients were provided with information to help them prepare for surgery and support a safe and effective recovery following their procedure. 
 

On surgical wards we observed patients being supported and encouraged to regain their independence as soon as they were able after surgery. 
 

Surgery leaders monitored how patients were involved in their own care choices. Patient survey results from July 2025 to December 2025 showed 92% of patients said they were always involved in decisions about their care. 
 

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. 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.
 

Patients we spoke with told us staff were responsive when they called for assistance or support. Staff completed regular comfort checks and medical observations for patients in ward rooms. 
 

Staff throughout the surgery department were aware of, and effectively managed, specific risks such as falls and blood clots with care planned accordingly to minimise these risks. Through regular patient observations and ongoing monitoring, staff were able to identify and respond promptly to any changes in patients’ clinical condition. However, we looked at 5 inpatient care records and risk assessment reviews were not always documented clearly. 
 

During this assessment we observed an alert bell being activated. Surgery staff responded promptly. Call bell safety was monitored through regular checks across all departments, any systems faults were reported to leaders for immediate repair. 
 

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff were supported by their peers, team leaders and senior leaders across the hospital. Staff told us they felt valued as part of the hospital family. They were positive and proud to work in the department, and many had worked in surgery for several years. Yearly staff appraisals included discussions about career development and how it could be supported. Staff were supported following incidents with debriefs and referrals to occupational support if necessary. Staff survey results from 2025 showed 74% of staff felt positive about their wellbeing at work. 
 

Leaders had a key focus on staff wellbeing and understood the direct correlation to improved patient care and outcomes. There were several staff facilities across the hospital to support and encourage staff to be aware of their own personal wellness. There was a multifaith prayer room, wellness room and quiet room as well as outside spaces available to all staff. 
 

All staff had access to onsite mediators and coaches to support staff groups with learning and development. The services also had accredited Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) to provide additional support to staff. Within surgery 5 MHFAs offered confidential early support encouraging staff to have open conversations about mental health. Staff also had access to an employee assistance program which staff could self-refer into at any time. 
 

Leaders responded promptly to staff feedback and suggestions. For example, the ‘People and Culture Forum’ was launched following staff feedback. The forum met each month to discuss staff inclusivity, share ideas and raise concerns. The forum was sponsored by the hospitals director who was responsible for any escalations made. For example, staff recognition boards were introduced across the hospital following suggestions made at staff forum. 
 

Leaders had supported multiple wellbeing and social events for staff. For example, staff quiz nights, free daily fruit and vegetables, food bank for staff as well as subsidised meals. 
 

Staff wellbeing was supported through an effective framework of staff focused policies and procedures. These included reasonable adjustments, stress risk assessments, flexible working and family leave policies. Leaders were also supported with tailored training and guidance on how best to support staff. 
 

Leaders empowered staff to be innovative with ways to support colleagues. For example, staff held a ‘random act of kindness day’ where gift bags were hidden around the hospital site for staff to find. Leaders recognised staff who went above and beyond to support others. Staff were encouraged to recognised colleagues who demonstrated behaviours aligned to the hospital’s values. Staff achievements were celebrated through an established awards scheme, which recognised both long service and contributions to improving the quality of patient care.