Spire Harpenden 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

Staff worked with patients to understand and manage risks. Care met patients' needs in a way which was safe and supportive and enabled them to do the things that mattered to them.

When people communicated their needs, emotions or distress, staff could manage this in a positive way which protects their rights and dignity and maximised learning for the future about the causes of their distress.

We looked for evidence that patients were treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. We assessed the levels of patient’s privacy and dignity afforded to patients. We asked patients to tell us about their experiences, if they were respected, if 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 patient’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.

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.

Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and took account of their individual needs. Staff introduced themselves to patients and explained what their role was. Staff were discreet and responsive when caring for patients. They took their time to interact with patients and those close to them in a respectful and considerate way. Staff avoided holding private conversations over patients.

Staff in the anaesthetic room responded to patient’s anxieties about their operation and took steps to reduce the stress within the environment. Patients who were particularly anxious, who were very young or who had cognitive impairment were able to have a familiar person with them for support.

In the operating theatres, patients were covered wherever possible to maintain their dignity and were not exposed unnecessarily. Staff were respectful when caring for patients when they were under anaesthetic. On the wards and during transfers throughout the hospital, patients were encouraged and supported to remain appropriately dressed or covered at all times.

Patients told us that staff treated them well and with kindness.

Staff followed policies and procedures designed to keep patient care and treatment confidential. Sensitive information and difficult news were communicated in a private setting, and voices were kept as low as possible when talking about personal information in a communal area to protect patients’ privacy.

Staff understood and respected the personal, cultural, social and religious needs of patients and how these related to their care needs. For example, the service promoted an inclusive environment for both patients and staff. There was a multi-faith prayer facility available, and meals were provided that catered to a wide range of religious and cultural preferences, supporting patients’ individual needs during their stay.

Staff actively promoted equality and diversity, celebrating religious and cultural events and creating opportunities for staff to share their cultural backgrounds. Staff also described inclusive practices, including support for patients with additional needs and access to specialist roles such as a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) champion to promote inclusion and awareness.

Patient feedback was routinely collected through surveys, and any concerns were appropriately responded to. Staff used an electronic feedback platform to collect patient feedback across both NHS and self-pay pathways. Surveys were structured around key patient experience measures, including whether care was effortless, well-informed, caring, and personalised. This enabled the service to monitor opportunities for improvement across the core aspects of care delivery.

Survey questions explored areas such as communication, involvement in care, staff responsiveness, and overall experience, allowing the service to identify themes and monitor patient satisfaction.

Patients we spoke with reflected these themes, reporting good communication, clear explanations about procedures, and feeling reassured and supported by staff.

Patients were encouraged to be as independent as soon as they were able following surgery. This included becoming mobile and able to move around the ward area, toilets and bathroom. Physiotherapists provided exercise routines when needed and supported patients to learn new ways of moving, so they could be mobile as soon as possible.

Patients who wanted to take control of their medicines were enabled to do so. The service had secure arrangements for patients to store and access their medicines by the bedside.

Patients were able to summon assistance using a call bell, and staff undertook regular rounds to assess and respond to their needs. Staff observed patients and intervened where patients appeared uncomfortable, distressed or insufficiently covered, helping to maintain their comfort and dignity. Patients looked well cared for, clean and had personal items and mobility aids, such as glasses and mobility aids close by. Where appropriate, staff encouraged and supported patients to eat and drink sufficient to maintain their health and wellbeing.

Emergency call bells were located at every bedside, as well as within in recovery and the operating theatre areas, enabling staff to quickly request additional support or specialist help when required.

Patients who used mobility aids such as walking frames or crutches had them close by and were assisted to use them until they regained their usual level of mobility.

Staff gave patients and those close to them help, emotional support and advice when they needed it. They were empathetic and considerate of the stress of an operating theatre environment.

Staff had access to appropriate resource and facilities to support safe working practices. These included opportunities to take rest breaks, designated rest areas for on duty doctors, access to drink and food outside normal operating hours, and readily available drinking water. The resident medical officer also had access to private sleeping accommodation, changing facilities, showering facilities and private toilet facilities to support their wellbeing when on duty.

Staff were encouraged to provide feedback, raise concerns and suggest improvements to both service delivery and staff experience, with clear mechanisms in place to ensure feedback received an appropriate response. For example, staff described attending daily safety briefings, which were well attended across all staff groups, including kitchen and portering staff. All department staff shared updates on staffing, clinical risks, incidents and patient safety concerns. This supported coordinated working and shared learning across clinical, governance and operational teams.

Staff also described a range of opportunities for shared learning and development, including leadership courses for heads of department and aspiring managers, as well as specialist training across disciplines. Examples included physiotherapy development programmes and surgical first assistant courses for theatre staff. These initiatives supported multidisciplinary working and service development.

Staff had access to personalised support which recognised the diversity of the workforce, with both proactive and reactive measures in place. Staff told us they had access to wellbeing support services, employee assistance programmes and forums, and felt supported through organisational changes.

Staff felt valued by their leaders and colleagues and had opportunities to contribute to service development. Staff told us they felt able to raise concerns, report incidents and contribute to discussions through staff huddles and meetings, where learning and feedback were shared. Staff also described an open and supportive culture, where managers were approachable and responsive, and concerns were addressed promptly.

Leaders ensured staff with protected characteristics felt included and respected within the service.