The Ridgeway Hospital win national award

Staff and doctors at The Ridgeway Hospital have been recognised for the outstanding quality of care they deliver to patients at the Laing Buisson Awards.

The Ridgeway Hospital, which is part of Circle Health Group, won the prestigious Laing Buisson award for best private hospitals nationally. The event took place in London on Thursday 21 November.

The 56 bed private hospital located in Swindon was praised for the way they supported staff and patient outcomes, and the award presented to the hospital’s owners specifically recognised the contribution The Ridgeway Hospital makes to the overall success of the organisation. 

The prestigious Laing Bussion awards are held each year and look for a private hospital group that excels in the delivery of care for patients. Judge’s this year noted that The Ridgeway Hospital and Circle Health Group “showcased an excellent growth story” and “achieved market-leading outcomes that significantly improves patient access and affordability.” This is the second time in four years that The Ridgeway Hospital has been recognised as one of the UK’s leading hospitals.   

In 2023, The Ridgeway Hospital’s owners, Circle Health Group’s Patient Report Outcome Measures (PROMS) were the highest in the independent sector for the knee surgery category and well above the national average in hip surgery. PROMS are recognised as the gold standard for determining the clinical effectiveness of a hospital’s treatments and services. Moreover, The Ridgeway Hospital had the lowest levels of infections and unplanned transfers of care on record.   

The award also looked at how The Ridgeway Hospital supported their workforce. As one of the largest employers in Swindon, in 2023 they were involved the launch of the independent sector’s first university programme in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University to offer staff a range of professional development courses sponsored by Circle Health Group.   

Additionally, The Ridgeway Hospital leveraged the national apprenticeship levy to support staff, offering them over 30 unique courses from nursing to administration and finance. The national average of apprenticeship levy utilisitation is between 40-50% with only 5% of staff on apprenticeship pathways. Circle Health Group and The Ridgeway Hospital successfully used between 95-100% of the levy in 2023.   

Commenting on The Ridgeway Hospital’s success at the famous awards, Paolo Pieri, CEO of Circle Health Group, said:  “I am incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication shown by the staff and doctors at The Ridgeway Hospital. 2023 was an incredibly successful year for Circle Health Group and to be named again as Hospital Group of the Year for the second time is a testament to the difference The Ridgeway Hospital has on the quality of care to patients.”