Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital - The Chesterfield

Updated 11 September 2026

We assessed Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital - The Chesterfield from 17 to 18 June 2026.

The Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital – The Chesterfield is an independent hospital which is part of Nuffield Health. This assessment looked at the following services provided at the hospital: surgery, outpatients, diagnostic imaging, and children and young people. We carried out these assessments due to the age of ratings of these services. The overall rating of Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital remains good, all services were rated good.

In each service we assessed 33 quality statements for the 5 key questions: safe, effective, responsive, caring and well-led. During the assessment, we spoke with staff, leaders and patients. We reviewed care records, policies, and other documentation relevant to the service. 

The provider was in breach of 2 legal regulations as they did not always have effective processes to define staff training requirements. Policies were not always aligned to clearly identify training requirements relating to safeguarding. Healthcare assistants and healthcare support workers had not received mandatory training in Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty.

Updated 11 March 2026

We assessed diagnostic imaging at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital – The Chesterfield on 17 to 18 June 2026.

We carried out this assessment due to the service not previously being awarded ratings. At our inspection in March 2015, we inspected outpatients and diagnostic imaging as one service. During that assessment, all diagnostic services were carried out by a third-party Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered provider, which means we did not inspect diagnostics services at that time. At the time of this assessment Nuffield Health provided the diagnostic services. Under our current methodology, outpatients and diagnostic imaging are assessed and rated as separate services. During this assessment, we inspected 33 quality statements.

The service carried out over 12500 scans in the 12 months prior to our assessment. Diagnostic imaging services provided included: plain x-ray, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT) and image intensifier scans. At the time of our assessment the static MRI equipment was being upgraded. The service was still offering MRI services using a mobile MRI unit located in north Bristol. The regulated activity at the mobile MRI was being managed by Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital – The Chesterfield.

The quality of children and young people’s care and treatment undergoing diagnostic imaging procedures was not reviewed as part of the diagnostic imaging assessment. The children and young people’s assessment covered care for people under the age of 18.

We rated the service as good. The service had a good learning culture where staff and patients could raise concerns. Patients were protected and kept safe. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. Staff managed medicines safely. Patients were involved in assessments of their needs. Patient outcomes met expectations. Patient’s comfort was observed. Staff made sure patients understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent. Patients were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff responded to patients in a timely way. The service supported staff wellbeing. Patients were involved in decisions about their care and treatment. The service provided information which patients could understand. Patients were invited to give feedback. There was a culture based on speaking up, listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff to develop in their roles. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities.

However, information was not always kept secure. There was printed safety information that was not up to date. Store areas were not always kept secure. There were some consumable items that were out of date. There were some items stored on the floor.

The provider was in breach of 1 legal regulation relating to good governance. The provider did not always have effective processes to define staff training requirements. Policies were not always aligned to clearly identify training requirements relating to safeguarding.

We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

Updated 11 March 2026

We conducted an onsite unannounced assessment visit of Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital - The Chesterfield. We assessed quality statements from the safe, effective, responsive, caring and well-led key questions.

We carried out this assessment due to the age of ratings of the service. At our inspection in March 2015, we inspected outpatients and diagnostic imaging as one service. Under our current methodology, outpatients and diagnostic imaging are assessed and rated as separate services. During this assessment we inspected 33 quality statements.

The outpatient service comprised of 11 consultant rooms and 3 treatment rooms. There was a physiotherapy suite and areas in which staff carried out optimisation checks and pre-assessment check for patients requiring surgery. In the 12 months before our assessment there were 39,253 outpatient appointments.

During the assessment, we spoke with staff, leaders and service users. We reviewed care records, policies, and other documentation relevant to the service.

We rated the service as good. Staff delivered compassionate, person-centred care and described a collaborative culture where they felt well supported by both colleagues and the management team. Staff understood how to report incidents and learning from these was shared across the service. They also had access to a wide range of e‑learning and were up to date with their mandatory training.

However, we found the service did not always have effective governance processes and staff did not always have the training required for their role.

The provider was in breach of 2 legal regulations. The provider did not always have effective processes to define staff training requirements. Policies were not always aligned to clearly identify training requirements relating to safeguarding. Healthcare assistants and healthcare support workers had not received mandatory training in Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty.

We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

Updated 11 March 2026

We assessed services for children and young people at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital - The Chesterfield from 17 to 18 June 2026.

We carried out this assessment due to the age of ratings of this service. Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital - The Chesterfield is an independent hospital within the Nuffield Health. The service provided a range of surgical procedures for young people (aged 16 to 18 years), following an assessment of their individual care needs. Within outpatient services, consultations were provided to children (aged 3 to 16 years). Diagnostic and imaging services for children and young people (aged 8 to 18 years) included plain X-ray, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Physiotherapy services were also provided for children and young people related to outpatient appointments and as part of young people’s surgical pathway during their inpatient stay.

Between June 2025 and May 2026, there were 208 outpatient attendances for children (aged 3 to 15 years). During the same period, there were 206 outpatient attendances and 18 surgical procedures for young people (aged 16 to 18 years). There were also 180 diagnostic and imaging scans and X-rays for children and young people (aged between 8 and 18) for the year 1 March 2025 to 1 March 2026. There were 15 physiotherapy appointments for children and young people for the year from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026.

Please refer to surgery, outpatients and, diagnostic and imaging reports for more information regarding this location.

We rated the service as good. Staff described a supportive and collaborative culture, effective leadership and teamwork. Staff understood incident reporting processes and told us learning was shared across teams. They had access to electronic training resources, and most were up to date with mandatory training.

The provider was in breach of 1 legal regulation relating to good governance. The provider did not always have effective processes to define staff training requirements. Policies were not always aligned to clearly identify training requirements relating to safeguarding.

We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

Updated 11 March 2026

We assessed surgery at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital – The Chesterfield on 17 to 18 June 2026. Surgical services provided include orthopaedic, general surgery and cosmetic procedures for private and NHS patients.

We carried out this assessment due to the service not previously being awarded ratings in all of the 5 key questions. Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital (The Chesterfield) is an independent hospital within the Nuffield Health group.

During the assessment, we spoke with staff, leaders and patients. We reviewed care records, policies, and other documentation relevant to the service. We carried out this assessment as part of our routine checks on this service.

The surgical department comprised of 3 laminar flow theatres, an endoscopy suite and a 30 bedded ward. The service carried out over 5500 scheduled surgical procedures in the 12 months prior to our inspection.

At the previous focused inspection, we rated surgery as good. At this inspection the rating remains good. Staff felt well supported and were enthusiastic about their jobs and providing patient care.

However, we found the service did not always have effective governance processes and staff did not always have the training required for their role.

The provider was in breach of 2 legal regulations. The provider did not always have effective processes to define staff training requirements. Policies were not always aligned to clearly identify training requirements relating to safeguarding. Healthcare assistants and healthcare support workers had not received mandatory training in Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty.

We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

Updated 15 July 2015

During our inspection we spoke to reception staff, hostess staff, health care assistants, nursing staff, consultants and the nursing manager. We also spoke with thirteen patients and carers. We found there was a caring culture embedded in the outpatients department. Staff involved patients and carers in all decisions and put patients’ needs first. The department’s booking system was well organised and patients received timely appointments. There were few delays and patients were complimentary about the levels of information they received. The values, jointly known as EPIC (enterprise, passionate, independent, and caring) were fully embedded in the department. Staff had confidence in their managers and felt able to challenge poor practice and suggest improvements in the department. The department used a thorough method for ensuring effective infection control. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the importance of reporting incidents. The service was open and transparent when something went wrong. However we found that staff’s understanding of safeguarding and what to do in an emergency could be improved. Diagnostic imaging services in the hospital were not provided by Nuffield Health and therefore were not assessed as part of this inspection.