Spire South Bank 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 patient 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.

Patients were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated patients as individuals and supported their preferences. Staff responded to patients in a timely way. Patients had the opportunity to ask questions from allied health professionals.

This was the first assessment for this service. It was previously inspected with outpatients in 2016, and this key question was rated good. At this assessment the rating has remained 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.

The service always treated patient with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff consistently treated patients with kindness, compassion and respect, maintaining their privacy and dignity. They introduced themselves, communicated clearly and interacted in a considerate and unhurried manner. Care was provided discreetly, with staff avoiding inappropriate discussions in patient areas.

Patients and relatives spoke positively about staff, highlighting their kindness and understanding. Patient survey data from April 2025 to March 2026 showed 69% of patients strongly agreed they were really cared for and looked after by the service and staff. A further 24% agreed.

Staff responded sensitively to patient anxiety, adapting care to individual needs and enabling support from others where appropriate. A patient described how staff got to know them, used effective distraction techniques and used appropriate humour to in response to their anxiety about having a scan. They appreciated the efforts staff went to.

Patients’ privacy was maintained during procedures and when changing, with confidential information handled in line with policy. Staff provided patients with private areas to change their clothes and felt comfortable at all times. Patients we spoke to told us their privacy and dignity was always maintained.

The service treated patient as individuals and made sure patient’s care, support and treatment met patient’s needs and preferences. Staff took account of patient’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. They showed understanding and displayed a non-judgmental attitude when caring for or discussing patients with additional needs such as mental health needs. Staff responded well to people’s questions and concerns. Staff quickly recognised when someone might need some extra reassurance or support and provided it tactfully.

Feedback was gathered through patient surveys and concerns were responded to. Patient survey data from April 2025 to March 2026 showed 65% of patients strongly agreed they were truly valued as an individual by the service and staff. A further 26% agreed. We reviewed scanning records and saw these were tailored to individual needs and circumstances.

The service promoted patient’s independence, so patient knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

The staff provided reassurance throughout the scan, they updated the patient on how long they had been in the scanner and how long was left. Patients had a panic button they could press any time during the scan to summon help. Staff could stop the scanning immediately if the patient requested this.

Patients told us they were very satisfied with the care they received and the staff who provided it. They felt involved in their ongoing treatment and staff took the time to explain the procedure and what would happen during their scan. Patients we spoke to said they had plenty of opportunity to ask questions and staff listened to them and were happy to answer any questions they had. They had been kept well-informed of their treatment plan and felt able to raise any concerns with radiology staff. Staff checked patient’s understanding prior to asking them to make decisions.

Earplugs were available which protected patients’ ears and helped to reduce the noise. For those patients demonstrating heightened anxiety, staff provide choice and control to patients, such as use of the call bell, trying the scan beforehand, bringing someone with them, and the use of music during the scan procedure.

The department had a chaperone policy. There were posters available informing patients about the availability of chaperones and staff were readily available to act as chaperones when needed.

Patient survey data from April 2025 to March 2026 showed 95% either strongly agreed or agreed the service met their expectations.

The staff listened to and understood patient’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to patient’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff supported patients who became distressed in an open environment and helped them maintain their privacy and dignity. Staff told us they provided extra time for patients who were nervous or patients attending for an MRI scan who were claustrophobic (a phobia of enclosed spaces). This procedure can often make patients feel nervous. Staff allowed time for patients to adjust to the scanning room. Patients told us staff were very calm, patient and allowed them as much time as was needed to feel comfortable to undergo a scan.

The hospital provided ‘one-stop’ clinics where possible to reduce the number of patient’s hospital appointments. For example, patients attending for mammography or orthopaedics had further investigations and a consultant appointment on the same day preventing patients from attending the hospital on 2 separate occasions.

Patients could summon staff and there were emergency call bells accessible to patients in scanning rooms.

People who used mobility aids such as walking frames or crutches had them close by and were assisted to use them after their scan was completed.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff had access to resources and facilities for safe working. This included being able to take breaks. Not all staff felt comfortable lone working. However, lone working risk assessments were in place and there were processes for staff to follow to keep themselves safe.

Staff had access to personalised support which recognised the diversity of a workforce with initiative-taking and reactive measures. For example, the service celebrated religious events such as Diwali and Eid.

Staff felt valued by their leaders and their colleagues. However, staff acknowledged their wellbeing had been affected by redundancies made in 2025. Leaders and managers had provided staff with opportunities to feedback about this process. Relationships between staff of all grades were positive, with strong teamwork and collaboration. Most staff enjoyed working in the diagnostic imaging department and within the wider hospital. Staff were able to provide feedback, raise concerns and suggest ways to improve the service or staff experiences and could expect a response.

The provider and local leaders ensured staff with protected characteristics felt included and respected within the service. For example, staff provided examples of reasonable adjustments made to support protected characteristics and examples of managers being flexible with family life and work life balance.