The Winterbourne Hospital

Updated 21 November 2025

We assessed The Winterbourne Hospital on 6 August 2025.

We assessed 1 assessment service group, Outpatients, at this location. This assessment looked at outpatient services [which we rated as good. We inspected outpatients because it was rated requires improvement at the last inspection. We found the service had made improvements following the last inspection in 2022.

The Winterbourne Hospital is registered with CQC to deliver the regulated activities: Family planning, treatment of disease, disorder or injury, surgical procedures and diagnostic and screening procedures. The service had a controlled drugs accountable officer and a Registered Manager.

The rating from outpatients has been combined with ratings of the other services from the last inspections. We rated the location as Good.

Updated 9 July 2025

We carried out this assessment on 6 August 2025.

The outpatient service at The Winterbourne Hospital provided privately funded outpatient services. This included appointments with medical consultants, minor procedures such as cystoscopies (a procedure to look inside the bladder to diagnose or treat symptoms) and removal of skin lesions, and follow up appointments with consultants or nurses after surgery, which could include monitoring and changes of wound dressings. The hospital was also contracted to provide some services for NHS patients. This included orthopaedic joint replacement surgery. This meant initial consultant appointments and postoperative follow up for these NHS patients was carried out in the outpatient department.

We assessed 5 key questions; safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. The inspection team comprised of 2 CQC Inspectors. We spoke with members of staff and senior leaders. We carried out remote interviews with staff and teams. We also requested evidence from the service which was provided by the service on 14 August 2025. We rated the outpatient service as good overall because:

The service had made improvements and was no longer in breach of regulations. Clinicians now recorded patient notes contemporaneously. Staff were now trained to the nationally recommended levels for safeguarding adults and children. Governance arrangements now ensured issues were escalated and rectified in a timely manner. Recruitment processes now ensured all appropriate checks on staff were completed prior to employment.

The service had a good learning culture and people could raise concerns. Managers investigated incidents. Patients were protected and kept safe. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications, and experience.

Staff assessed patients’ conditions and patients were involved in decisions about their care and treatment. Staff made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent. Care and treatment was based on latest evidence and good practice.

Leaders and staff had a shared vision for the running of the service that was underpinned by a set of principles and values. Staff were treated equally, and staff with protected characteristics felt supported. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. There was a culture and structure for continuous improvement being embedded into the service.

Updated 15 September 2022

This was the first inspection of diagnostic imaging as a standalone service. At this inspection we rated it as good:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

Updated 15 September 2022

Our rating of this service improved. We rated it as good because:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well.
• Staff provided good care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink, and gave them pain relief when they needed it. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information. Key services were available seven days a week.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

However,

• The recruitment and selection procedures did not ensure all appropriate checks were confirmed before staff were employed.
• There was a lack of formal risk assessments, escalation and oversight checks.

We rated this service as good in safe, effective, caring and responsive and requires improvement in well led.