SpaMedica Swindon

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• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

This means we looked for evidence the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect. People were involved in deciding their care.

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 evidence showed a good standard. The service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

We observed that staff showed kindness and compassion to all patients. The care for patients was evident in the culture. Their attitudes and behaviours when interacting with patients showed they were discreet, respectful and responsive, providing patients with help, emotional support and advice at the time they needed it.

In the waiting room there were posters offering a chaperone. We saw staff taking time to sit with patients and explain their treatment and what would be happening, giving patients opportunities to ask questions if needed. An online review had an example of kindness shown to them by staff. Positive feedback from patients/relatives of patients who had written post procedure thanking the staff for their kindness and compassion.

Patients were assured information about them was treated confidentially, and they knew staff respected their privacy. We saw how staff maintained the confidentiality of patient information. All confidential conversations were held in private areas so they could not be overheard by others. Patient records were kept secure. Support continued after discharge with a dedicated phoneline for any patient queries regarding their treatment as well as advice of actions in the event of an emergency.

The evidence showed a good standard. The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

The service was fully accessible to wheelchair users and patients whose mobility may be restricted. The service had free hot and cold drinks and biscuits available for patients’ post-surgery. If there were long delays to appointments or surgery, staff provided patients with food.

The service treated patients as individuals and made sure patients’ care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences. Staff understood the individual needs of patients, including their personal, cultural, social and religious needs. Appointments were offered to meet the needs of patients. As an example, around religious festivals, patients chose when they would like to attend. Prior to attending the appointment, the booking team sent a care questionnaire to the patient. This care questionnaire asked patients about their social history. This helped the medical team assess the patient’s needs. The service had processes to book interpreters if a person required communication support during an appointment.

Patients’ communication needs were mostly met to enable them to engage in their care, treatment and support to maximise their experience and outcomes. One of the staff had crocheted some ‘worry worms’ that were individually wrapped and offered to patients as something to hold during the procedure as a distraction. The service booked interpreters for patients who required them.

Information was available on noticeboards and in leaflets. Information was not always provided in all formats for patients who were partially sighted and were not able to read information displayed or in information leaflets. However, staff could print information in large font.

The evidence showed a good standard. The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

The service promoted patients’ independence. Patients knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

The service supported patients to have control over their own care. The service sent information with the appointment letter, so patients had time to read and consider questions prior to attending.

During the assessment we observed staff clearly explaining what was going to happen next in a way people could understand. Patients told us they understood their care and treatment. Patients were given the opportunity to ask questions throughout their care.

Staff received training in equality and diversity to support people as individual, compliance at time of assessment was 100%.

The evidence showed a good standard. The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff were alert to patient’s needs and took the time to observe, communicate and engage people in discussions about their immediate needs. Where a patient had particular needs, these were accommodated as far as possible. Examples we observed included timely and effective pain relief and providing food and drink.

A booklet of the patient journey was available to all patients. Patients were provided a chaperone if requested.

Staff could quickly recognise when people needed urgent help or support and used appropriate tools and technology to assist. There were emergency buzzers in each patient area and CCTV throughout the main patient areas so staff in reception could observe the waiting areas and could act promptly if needed.

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

Staff felt supported and valued. All staff had access to an online app which included a range of services such as core and optional benefits, employee discounts and wellbeing resources. The provider recognised staff success within the service. There were workforce champions and an employee forum. The service had policies and procedures to support staff’s well-being.

We reviewed the staff survey results from October 2025. Overall, the survey was very positive in particular towards management in regard to their competency, keeping staff informed as well as being approachable. Other positives were that the team celebrated people who try new and better ways, as well as being a great place to work.

Staff were contracted to cover other SpaMedica sites, generally this included travel during working hours. Transport and accommodation costs were covered. Staff views about this way of working were positive and saw it as a way to gain additional competencies in other specialist areas.

All staff spoke very highly of the hospital manager stating she was supportive and they could go to the manager with any concerns. The hospital manager had recently been nominated as a ‘SpaMedica Hero’. Staff shared a birthday calendar and made an effort to celebrate all staff members birthdays as well as celebrating work anniversaries.

Sufficient facilities were available for staff. There was a large staff room with kitchen facilities and changing facilities. Staff could freely access information about staff wellbeing support.