Spire Wellesley Hospital

Updated 13 October 2026

We assessed Spire Wellesley from 21 July to 10th August. This was an aged rating assessment as the service had not been fully assessed since 2016. We carried out a focused assessment for surgery in 2022. The assessment was unannounced and 33 quality statements, across the five key questions of safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well led were assessed to determine an overall rating.

Spire Wellesley is registered with the CQC to deliver regulated activities of surgery, diagnostic and screening procedures, medical care, family planning and services in slimming clinics. The service had a Registered Manage who is also the controlled drugs accountable officer.

At this assessment we assessed 2 assessment service groups: surgery and medical care.

We visited the following areas as part of our assessment: surgical wards, theatres, recovery and inpatient wards. We rated this location as Good.

Updated 11 May 2026

On the 21 July 2026 we carried out an assessment of medical care. Medical care included oncology services and endoscopy procedures.
 

This was a comprehensive assessment, carried out because the service’s previous rating was aged. The last inspection had been completed in December 2016. We inspected all quality statements under the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led key questions.
 

During our assessment we spoke to staff, patients and families using the service. We observed how patients were being cared for and reviewed treatment records of patients.
 

Spire Health Care, Spire Wellesley Hospital is an independent hospital located in Southend- on-Sea, Essex. It primarily serves the communities of Essex, while also accepting patients from a wider geographical area through private medical insurance, self-pay arrangements and NHS contracts. 
 

The oncology service was provided from the Ivy oncology suite between Monday and Friday 8 am to 6 pm, with a 24-hour telephone support line available to patients outside these hours. There were 6 rooms dedicated to chemotherapy treatment. 
 

The endoscopy service was a stand-alone unit with oversight and management from the theatre department. The service was working towards a Joint Advisory Group on Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (JAG) accreditation. This is an independent accreditation scheme that assesses whether an endoscopy unit meets nationally recognised standards for patient experience, safety, quality, and clinical outcomes. 
 

The service had enough staff to keep people safe. The service worked in partnership with system partners to ensure good continuity of care. Staff assessed patients’ risks and took the appropriate action to minimise harm. Incidents and concerns were investigated promptly and learning shared with staff. However, not all staff had completed mandatory training in line with policy
 

Medicines were stored and managed safely. Patients’ needs were monitored to deliver good care and treatment in line with national guidance and best practice. Staff worked with multiple teams and system partners to ensure effective care was delivered. 
 

Staff treated patients and their families with compassion, kindness and respect. Patients could access emotional and psychological support during treatment and procedures. 
Leaders were visible, approachable and well respected by staff. There was a positive culture that supported staff’s wellbeing and promoted development and career progression. 
 

Updated 11 May 2026

Surgery was last inspected in 2022 as a focused inspection. This assessment took place as part of an aged comprehensive inspection on 21st July 2026. We have rated the service as good

We assessed 33 quality statements across the key questions of safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led to determine the rating. During the assessment, we spoke with staff, leaders and service users. We reviewed care records, policies, and other documentation relevant to the service.

Surgery includes a dedicated pre-operative assessment unit, 3 operating theatres, a 33-bedded inpatient ward, 8 day-case beds, and 9 recovery bays. The hospital offers over 15 surgical specialties, including urology, ear, nose, and throat (ENT), hips and knees. The hospital has its own sterile services department. 

All surgery is elective and takes place after a pre-assessment process. Most surgical care is carried out on a day case basis, with overnight admission available for more complex cases or longer recovery periods.

The surgery service was found to provide compassionate and person-centred care. There were vacancies in theatres. However, safe staffing levels were strong with a flexible and responsive workforce using agency and bank staff. Effective teamwork was evident across clinical areas. Staff were observed to work collaboratively to support continuity of care.

Medicines optimisation was safe and infection prevention and control practice was generally effective. There was a good culture of incident reporting and learning from incidents. 

Updated 12 September 2018

Children and young people’s services were a small proportion of hospital activity. We rated this service as good because it was safe, effective, responsive, caring and well-led.

Updated 19 December 2016

Outpatient and diagnostic imaging services at Spire Wellesley Hospital were rated as good overall. We inspected, but did not rate, effective.

Areas of good practice included effective processes to ensure equipment was checked, serviced and ready for use and radiology and pathology reports and results were available to appropriate staff via secure electronic systems.

Data provided showed that 100% of outpatient and diagnostic staff and completed their annual appraisal for 2015

Patients were seen and treated within national guidance timeframes and were very happy with the level of care they received.

We saw that staff interactions with patients were polite, friendly, and helpful and the hospital was mindful of the needs of patients from various religions and backgrounds and translation services were available.

“You said, we did” notices were displayed in patient waiting areas, showing changes made as a result of complaints received.

However:

The procedures for monitoring medication fridge temperatures were not adhered to.

Patient records were not always fully complete or legible. The hospital did not hold a copy or summary of consultants’ records held off site however this was accessible on request.

Incident reporting was minimal within the diagnostic imaging department.

Incident information was provided to heads of department regularly but this data was across the hospital and not specific to individual departments.

There was a lack of oversight in relation to the management and development of hospital policies.