- Independent hospital
Health First Surrey
Assessment report published 23 June 2026
Contents
Ratings - Diagnostic and screening services
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 1 May 2026
This assessment was a focused, short notice announced inspection to review the progress made against the warning notice and action plan issued following an inspection in September 2025.
This assessment looked at whether the service was safe, responsive and well-led.
The rating for the service has been combined with key questions inspected from the previous inspection for caring and effective. Please refer to our earlier reports for a full overview of the service.
At this assessment, we found the service had made improvements since the previous inspection However, we found the service was still in breach of Regulation 12 (Safe Care and Treatment). We found clinical waste was not stored securely. This meant there was a risk of unauthorised access, spillage, or contamination, which could compromise the safety of people using the service, staff, and visitors. The provider had not ensured appropriate systems and practices to safely manage and contain clinical waste in line with current guidance.
The service did not consistently demonstrate a strong learning culture. The staff did not always recognise, record or report incidents appropriately, and missed opportunities to learn from events. Staff did not always recall incidents, which raised concerns about oversight and learning.
We found the service did not always identify and manage risks effectively. The manager did not fully assess or mitigate environmental and safety risks. We found governance systems were not always sufficient to ensure the identification, monitoring and addressing of risk.
However, the service provided responsive and person-centred care, and patients reported positive experiences of care and treatment. The service had effective systems relating to infection prevention and control, staffing, and partnership working.
The service demonstrated a commitment to improvement, worked well with partners, and had a positive culture in which staff felt able to speak up and patients were treated with respect.
Health First Surrey was rated requires improvement at our previous inspection in September 2025. At this inspection the overall rating for Health First Surrey has changed to good.
People's experience of this service
Patients using the service reported positive experiences; for example, they were given time and reassurance, particularly if they were anxious. Staff made adjustments for patients who were anxious, had difficult veins or required additional support, helping to improve comfort and reduce distress. Staff gave patients clear information about what to expect from their appointment and how their results would be managed, which supported informed decision-making. Feedback was consistently positive. Overall, patients experienced good, person-centred care.