The Care Quality Commission
  • Hospital
  • Independent hospital

Bath Kidney Care Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

36 Box Road, Bathford, Bath, BA1 7QH (0121) 486 4290

Provided and run by:
Fresenius Medical Care Renal Services Limited

All Inspections

During an assessment of Dialysis services

We carried out this assessment on 3 September 2025.

We assessed 5 key questions; safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. This assessment looked at dialysis services as following the previous inspection we found regulatory breaches. We rated the dialysis service as good overall because:

The service had made improvements and is no longer in breach of regulations. Most staff now adhered to infection prevention and control measures and clinical waste was managed safely. All medicines, including oxygen were now prescribed. Governance processes had been improved. Recruitment processes now ensured all appropriate checks on staff were completed prior to employment.

The service had a good learning culture and people could raise concerns. Managers investigated incidents. Patients were protected and kept safe. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications, and experience.

Staff assessed patients’ conditions and patients were involved in decisions about their care and treatment. Staff made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent. Care and treatment was based on latest evidence and good practice.

Leaders and staff had a shared vision for the running of the service that was underpinned by a set of values. Staff were treated equally. There was a culture and structure for continuous improvement being embedded into the service.

However, some of the corporate policies provided by Fresenius Medical Care Renal Services Limited did not always reflect national guidance such as the safeguarding and management of incidents policy.

During an assessment of the hospital overall

We assessed Bath Kidney Care Centre on 3 September 2025.

We assessed 1 assessment service group, dialysis services at this location.

Bath Kidney Care Centre is registered with CQC to deliver the regulated activity: Treatment of disease. The service had a Registered Manager.

This assessment looked at dialysis services as following the previous inspection we found regulatory breaches. The service had made improvements since our last inspection. We rated the service as good. The rating of Bath Kidney care centre is Good.

10 & 22 November 2022

During a routine inspection

This was the first time we rated the service. We rated it as requires improvement because:

  • Staff did not always follow principles for infection prevention and control. Not all staff wore the recommended personal protective equipment and waste was not managed safely.
  • Staff administered oxygen which was not prescribed. This was not in line with national guidance.
  • Recruitment checks were not always carried out in line with legislation.
  • Systems and processes to ensure governance oversight and risk management was not always effective. There was no local risk register and the registered manager did not have ownership or input to local risks or how these were escalated.
  • Daily checks of equipment were not always carried out.
  • The service did not use a national tool to help staff to identify patients who deteriorated and to promote effective communication when concerns about patients were raised.
  • Substances hazardous to health were not always stored securely.
  • Arrangements to ensure patients’ dignity was maintained were not always effective.
  • Patient safety huddles did not always include all relevant information about patients.
  • Statutory notifications were not always submitted in line with legislation
  • Not all staff were up to date with their mandatory training. There were no staff with a higher level of safeguarding training to provide support if required.
  • Cleaning schedules did not clearly include arrangements for cleaning of the storeroom floor.
  • Incident investigations were not carried out in a way that promoted learning or areas for service improvement.
  • Not all staff were aware of who the freedom-to-speak-up guardian was.

However:

  • There were enough staff to care for patients and provide dialysis treatment.
  • Staff assessed risks to patients and acted on them and mostly managed medicines well.
  • Staff recorded patient care and treatment clearly.
  • Patients had access to a dietitian for advice and guidance regarding fluid and nutrition in line with national guidance.
  • Managers monitored the effectiveness of dialysis treatment and made sure all staff were competent.
  • Staff worked well together and with key staff from the NHS parent trust to provide effective patient care and treatment.
  • Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness. Staff understood the impact dialysis had on patients and provided support for patients and their carers.
  • The service planned care to meet the needs of local people and took account of patients’ individual needs.
  • Leaders had the skills and knowledge to run the service using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop.
  • Staff felt respected, supported and valued and were focused on the needs of patients.
  • The service engaged with patients through regular patient surveys and formulated action plans where service improvement opportunities were identified.

We rated this service as requires improvement because safety and leadership required improvement, although effective, caring and responsive was rated as good.