Spire Harrogate Clinic

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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

We looked for evidence that people were always treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. We checked that people’s privacy and dignity was respected, that 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 people’s wishes into account and respect their choices, to achieve the best possible outcomes for them.

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; and involved as partners in 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.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected the people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

We observed positive interactions between staff and patients throughout the assessment. Staff treated people with kindness, compassion and respect and responded promptly to patients' needs. Patients were provided with practical assistance, emotional support and information when required. Patients told us staff treated them well, listened to them and always behaved professionally and respectfully.

Staff supported patients to understand their care, treatment and diagnostic procedures. They explained investigations clearly, answered questions and signposted patients to other services where appropriate. Staff told us they would support people to access additional services if required. Arrangements were in place to maintain the confidentiality of patient information, and staff demonstrated an understanding of their responsibilities in protecting people's privacy.

Staff understood the importance of recognising and responding to people's individual needs. They told us they considered patients' personal circumstances, including cultural, religious and social needs, when planning and delivering care. Staff said they would challenge or report any disrespectful, discriminatory or abusive behaviour and felt able to raise concerns without fear of negative consequences.

Patient feedback demonstrated consistently positive experiences of care. Results from patient surveys completed between 1 January 2026 and 30 June 2026 showed high levels of satisfaction across measures relating to kindness, compassion and dignity. Responses showed, 97% of patients agreed they felt really cared for and looked after and 95% of patients agreed they felt truly valued as an individual. All patients reported they were treated with dignity and respect.

The remaining responses were recorded as neutral, with no negative responses received in these categories.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care that 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 demonstrated a commitment to recognising and responding to the diverse needs of people using the service. Leaders had sought feedback from local organisations representing people with disabilities and visual impairments to review the accessibility of the clinic environment. These reviews included accessibility walkthroughs, assessment of the patient journey and feedback on the physical environment and service delivery. Findings from the reviews were used to identify opportunities for improvement and inform changes to enhance accessibility for patients attending the clinic.

Staff had completed Disability Action awareness and accessibility training to increase their understanding of the barriers experienced by people with disabilities and how reasonable adjustments could be made to improve access and patient experience.

Additional training undertaken by staff included Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, Mental Health Awareness, the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, and Learning Disability and Autism training. These learning programmes supported staff to recognise and respond appropriately to the individual needs of adults, children and young people from a wide range of backgrounds and circumstances.

Initial patient assessments were used to identify individual needs and determine any reasonable adjustments required to support access to services. Staff told us they routinely assessed communication needs and arranged additional support where necessary, including interpreter services and sign language support.

The service provided information in a variety of accessible formats to help ensure patients could understand and engage with their care. Resources available included: Information leaflets in languages commonly spoken by patients, Large print documents, Easy-read information, Spire Hospital Passport, Autistic Patient Passport, Dementia Passport ("This is Me") and X-ray picture book leaflets.

These resources supported patients with communication, cognitive or sensory needs to access information in a way that met their individual requirements.

Staff recognised the importance of supporting people's cultural, spiritual and religious needs. Patients had access to a quiet room which could be used for private reflection, prayer or spiritual support where required.

Safeguarding processes supported the identification of vulnerable adults and children and ensured additional support could be put in place when needed. Staff demonstrated an understanding of how individual circumstances could increase vulnerability and how this should be considered when planning care and support.

Patients were provided with information about treatments, local services, patient rights and complaints processes. Staff ensured information was presented in formats appropriate to the needs of the individual patient, supporting understanding, choice and involvement in care.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and well being.

The service supported people to be actively involved in decisions about their care and treatment. Patients received information throughout their diagnostic pathway, including before appointments, during consultations and following procedures, enabling them to make informed choices about their care. Staff explained diagnostic investigations, discussed what to expect and provided opportunities for patients to ask questions.

The service demonstrated a responsive approach to patient feedback. Where patients identified that additional information would be helpful, the service developed and introduced supplementary patient information leaflets. Leaders told us these resources were subsequently shared with patients to improve understanding and support informed decision-making.

Patients were provided with opportunities to share their views and experiences of care through patient surveys, feedback forms and other engagement mechanisms. Feedback was reviewed and used to identify improvements, helping to ensure patients remained involved in shaping the service.

Staff supported patients, families and carers to participate in decisions about care by adapting communication methods to meet individual needs. Translation and interpreting services were available when required, and staff used age-appropriate information and communication tools to support understanding and meaningful involvement in decision-making.

The service recognised that some people may require additional support to exercise choice and control. Staff had completed training in mental health awareness, learning disabilities and autism, helping them to understand the needs of people who may require reasonable adjustments or alternative approaches to communication and decision-making. Training compliance in these areas was high, providing assurance that staff had the knowledge and skills to support inclusive and person-centred care.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service 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.

The service had systems and processes in place to identify and respond to people's needs in a timely and person-centred way. Individual needs, risks and required support were identified through referral and pre-scan assessment processes, enabling staff to plan and deliver appropriate care.

As described within the Assessing Needs quality statement, staff completed assessments before diagnostic investigations to ensure care and treatment reflected patients' individual circumstances and requirements. Information obtained through referrals and pre-assessment screening enabled staff to identify any additional support needs, communication requirements or reasonable adjustments that may be required.

Staff told us patients requiring additional support, including those who were anxious, living with learning disabilities or requiring more time to understand procedures, could be offered extended appointment times. Patients were also able to attend pre-admission or familiarisation visits to help them become accustomed to the environment and equipment before their appointment. This helped reduce anxiety and enabled staff to better meet people's individual needs during diagnostic procedures.

We saw evidence that staff adapted their approach according to the needs of the person, including providing additional information, reassurance and support where required. Communication needs were identified in advance, allowing staff to make arrangements such as interpreter services or other reasonable adjustments to support patient engagement and understanding.

Patient feedback provided further assurance that people's needs were being met. Results from the 2025 patient survey were largely positive, particularly in relation to the support provided by staff and the quality of communication throughout the patient journey. Patients reported that staff were approachable, helpful and responsive to their individual needs.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service cared about and promoted the well being of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

The service promoted a positive workplace culture where staff felt respected, supported and valued. Staff consistently told us they enjoyed working for the provider, felt proud of the care they delivered and spoke positively about their colleagues and local leadership team.

Staff had access to a range of services to support their physical and emotional well being. Occupational Health services were available to provide advice and support regarding physical health, work-related health concerns and well being. Workforce data demonstrated low levels of sickness absence, with staff sickness rates averaging 1.6%, which was significantly below the provider average of 5%.

The provider had implemented a range of well being initiatives to support staff welfare and resilience. These included access to Mental Health First Aiders, Freedom to Speak Up support, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and well being and support networks.

Information about these services was shared through internal communication channels and displayed on staff information screens within colleague areas to ensure staff were aware of the support available to them.

Staff also had access to a range of external well being resources and support organisations, including Stress Management Society, Stress-busting resources, Time to Change, Samaritans, The Hub of Hope, NHS well being resources and Mind Tools.

The provider's Well being Centre offered further information and guidance on a range of health and lifestyle topics, including retirement planning, disability insurance, recovery from chronic stress, sleep, nutrition and general well being. Staff told us they were able to access these resources when required.

The organisation recognised and celebrated staff achievements. Staff described opportunities to be recognised through provider-wide award schemes, which helped acknowledge contributions and promote staff engagement and morale.

Performance appraisal processes supported staff development and career progression. Staff told us appraisals included discussions about their professional aspirations, learning needs and future career opportunities. Leaders encouraged staff development and supported access to training, apprenticeships and other learning opportunities where appropriate.