The National healthcare watchdog has described BMI The Highfield Hospital in Rochdale as having safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led services.
The report, by the independent regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC), further noted how staff worked well as a team and had great pride in their work; that they cared for people with compassion and involved families and carers to make sure that patients felt well informed to make decisions.
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Mr Saqif Hossain said: The fact is that the hospital has a good rating shows we are patient centred and that patient safety is a priority. The team has worked hard to achieve this. Everybody in hospital is there for the patients – from the porters and the catering teams to the consultants and the Executive Director. This is a hospital that is well-led from the top and I would certainly would recommend any of my family to have their treatment at Highfield.”
Their CQC inspection report also highlights a culture of openness and honesty, with a strong focus on patient-centred care. Staff felt able to talk openly about any concerns, which meant that any issues could be resolved quickly and any learning shared straight away. The report noted that staff felt respected, supported and valued.
Consultant urologist Neeraj Sharma said: “There is no doubt that the team has put in a massive effort to achieve a good rating. They are proactive in driving success forward; their determination to raise standards is very visible. Knowing the team, I have no doubt that they will already be working hard towards getting an outstanding rating.”
Executive Director Sam Sheehan said: “I was particularly pleased that the inspectors noticed how everyone was passionate about working with patients and with each other to plan and manage services. Having that mindset means that we all work well together and I am so pleased that everyone’s work has resulted in this ‘good’ rating from the CQC. Patients coming here can be assured that they have made a ‘good’ decision to choose Highfield, and that everyone is here for them.”
The CQC regulates private hospitals to the same degree as NHS hospitals, analysing how well providers perform in five ‘domains’ of being safe; effective; caring; responsive to people’s needs; and well-led.
The inspectors visited the hospital in July 2019. Mrs Sheehan said that good communication has been essential in elevating a 2016 inspection rating from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’. Communication as a theme was also highlighted by the CQC as being a strength in other BMI Healthcare hospitals which have improving regulatory ratings, in its recent Driving Improvement publication.
BMI Highfield Hospital, in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, is a 47-bedded hospital across two wards. There are four operating theatres, enhanced care beds, an outpatients department, physiotherapy department and diagnostic imaging.
