Compliance with CMA Order 2014

In October 2014, the Competition and Markets Authority (the "CMA") published the Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order 2014 (the "Order") following its investigation into the private healthcare industry. The Order imposed requirements on private hospital operators to disclose certain information in relation to referring clinicians (as defined by the Order) for the benefit of patients. Full details about the investigation and the Order can be found on the CMA web page. The information provided by Spire Healthcare below is required by the Order.

"Higher value" services

The services provided at Spire Edinburgh Hospitals to referring clinicians and the amounts charged by Spire for those services are set out below:

  • Use of consulting rooms: £26.75 per hour
  • Use of consulting room for non-referring clinicians/practitioners without practising privileges: £17.75 per hour
  • Use of consulting room for Spire GPs: £13 per hour

“Low value” services

The following “low-value” services are also provided to referring clinicians with practising privileges at this hospital:

  • General services to ensure clinical safety (eg in-house training, chaperones)
  • Operational services such as patient bookings/admissions (including online booking and payment for consultations), administrative services and billing, and insurance/indemnity cover in respect of NHS patients
  • General marketing support, including production of consultant directories, promotional activities, web profiles etc
  • Basic workplace amenities such as teas/coffees/refreshments, subsidised meals, car parking, stationery

Corporate hospitality events for referring clinicians

Spire group Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) Chairs conferences

Spire group Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) Chairs conferences are held twice a year, focusing on clinical safety and governance issues. MAC Chairs from all of Spire’s hospitals are invited to attend, with their partners, and are joined by members of Spire’s senior management.

  • In 2017, the conferences were held in Berlin and Aylesbury and the total cost of the events was approximately £85,000 and £25,000 respectively.
  • In 2018, a conference was held in Berlin and the total cost of the event was approximately £88,000.
  • In 2019, the conferences were held in Lisbon and Aylesbury and the total cost of the events was approximately £95,000 and £28,400. MAC Chairs were also invited to attend the Spire Healthcare Senior Management Conference in Birmingham in June 2019 (eight MAC Chairs attended at a cost of £845 per head).
  • No conferences were held in 2020.
  • In 2021, conferences were held virtually via Zoom as well as face to face in Aylesbury. The total cost of the events in 2021 was approximately £2,120 and £19,300 respectively. 
  • In 2022, the conferences were held in May at Spire’s head office in London and in November at Oulton Hall, Leeds. The total cost of the events in 2022 were approximately £6,463 and £20,338 respectively.
  • In 2023, the conferences were held in June at M Restaurant in London and in November at The Midland Hotel, Manchester. The total cost of the events in 2023 were approximately £2,931 and £20,389 respectively.

In 2019, Spire Healthcare held a series of five dinners with 70 consultants from across five Spire hospitals for the purpose of meeting various members of the Spire Executive team and listening to and engaging with consultants. The cost of the dinners ranged from £60 to £80 per head. No dinners were held in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Spire Edinburgh Hospitals

Corporate hospitality events held by the hospital at no charge to referring clinicians are set out below, together with the cost of providing such events:

  • September 2024: Nine consultants attended a business dinner at a cost of £148 per head. 
  • September 2024: Eight consultants attended a business dinner at a cost of £138 per head. 
  • September 2024: Spire Edinburgh Hospitals’ Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) annual general meeting took place. All consultants on our medical society were invited to attend. 43 consultants attend with a cost of £80 per head.
  • July 2024: Spire Edinburgh Hospitals' 40th Summer Party took place.  All staff and consultants were invited to attend. 66 consultants attended with 14 bringing a partner. The average cost was £100 per head with a subsidised cost for partners of £70. 
  • February 2024: 13 consultants were taken to a Guinness Six Nations rugby match on Saturday 24 February. Tickets were no cost to Spire as they are part of sponsorship deal, but valued at approx £157.50 each
  • February 2024: 13 consultants were taken to a Guinness Six Nations rugby match on Saturday 10 February. Tickets were no cost to Spire as they are part of sponsorship deal, but valued at approx £147 each
  • December 2023: Spire Edinburgh Hospitals' Christmas Dance took place on 9 December. All staff and consultants are invited with partners. 84 consultants attended with 35 bringing a partner. The average cost per head was £100.
  • November 2023: Spire Edinburgh Hospitals’ Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) is made up of a group of consultants who meet quarterly and whose job is to advise the Hospital Director and Director of Clinical Services on medical matters and who provide expertise and oversight of the hospital’s clinical governance. This is an unpaid role and as a thank you the Hospital Director takes the Committee for dinner. Fifteen consultants attended the dinner at an approx cost of £183 per head
  • August 2023:  18 consultants were taken to a Famous Grouse Nations Series rugby match on Saturday 26 August. Tickets were no cost to Spire as they are part of sponsorship deal, but valued at approx £52.50 each
  • August 2023:  17 consultants were taken to a Famous Grouse Nations Series rugby match on Saturday 5 August. Tickets were no cost to Spire as they are part of sponsorship deal, but valued at approx £84 each
  • March 2023: 17 consultants were taken to a Six Nations rugby match on Sunday 12 March. Tickets were no cost to Spire as they are part of sponsorship deal, but valued at approx £123.50 each
  • February 2023: 17 consultants were taken to a Six Nations rugby match on Saturday 11 February. Tickets were no cost to Spire as they are part of sponsorship deal, but valued at approx £123.50 each
  • November 2022: Spire Edinburgh Hospitals’ Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) is made up of a group of consultants who meet quarterly and whose job is to advise the Hospital Director and Director of Clinical Services on medical matters and who provide expertise and oversight of the hospital’s clinical governance. This is an unpaid role and as a thank you the Hospital Director takes the Committee for dinner. Eight consultants attended the dinner at an approx cost of £187.50 per head
  • November 2022: 17 consultants were taken to an Autumn Nations Series rugby match on Saturday 19 November. Tickets were no cost to Spire as they are part of sponsorship deal, but valued at approx £75.50 each
  • November 2022: 17 consultants were taken to an Autumn Nations Series rugby match on Sunday 13 November. Tickets were no cost to Spire as they are part of sponsorship deal, but valued at approx £96.50 each
  • June 2022: Spire Edinburgh Hospitals’ Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) is made up of a group of consultants who meet quarterly and whose job is to advise the Hospital Director and Director of Clinical Services on medical matters and who provide expertise and oversight of the hospital’s clinical governance. This is an unpaid role and as a thank you the Hospital Director takes the Committee for dinner. 15 consultants attended the dinner at an approx cost of £180 per head
  • February 2022: 16 consultants were taken to a Six Nations rugby match on Saturday 26 February. Tickets were no cost to Spire as they are part of sponsorship deal, but valued at approx £123.50 each
  • February 2022: 15 consultants were taken to a Six Nations rugby match on Saturday 5 February. Tickets were no cost to Spire as they are part of sponsorship deal, but valued at approx £123.50 each
  • November 2021: 18 consultants were taken to an Autumn Nations Series rugby match on Saturday 20 November. Tickets were no cost to Spire as they are part of sponsorship deal, but valued at approx £56.50 each
  • November 2021: 18 consultants were taken to an Autumn Nations Series rugby match on Saturday 13 November. Tickets were no cost to Spire as they are part of sponsorship deal, but valued at approx £75.50 each
  • March 2020: 25 consultants were taken to a Six Nations match on Saturday 8 March at a cost of £13 per head for hospitality plus tickets. Tickets were no cost to Spire as they are part of sponsorship deal, but valued at approx £100 each
  • February 2020: 16 consultants were taken to a Six Nations match on Saturday 8 February at a cost of £13 per head for hospitality plus tickets. Tickets were no cost to Spire as they are part of sponsorship deal, but valued at approx £100 each

For corporate hospitality events held by the hospital at no charge to referring clinicians for 2015-2019 click here.

Clinician financial interests in Spire Healthcare

Private hospital operators are required to disclose details of referring clinicians practising at their facilities, who have a share or financial interest in those facilities or any equipment used there. Some clinicians may own shares in Spire Healthcare Group plc, which were acquired either at the admission price or through trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. Where a referring clinician has an individual web page profile on this hospital website, relevant shares and/or financial interests are disclosed there. For referring clinicians who do not have an individual profile, their shares and/or financial interests are shown below:

  • Dr Euan McGregor holds less than 0.1% of the shares in Spire Healthcare Group plc
  • Dr Philip Roddam holds less than 0.1% of the shares in Spire Healthcare Group plc
  • Dr Tom Blankenstein holds less than 0.1% of the shares in Spire Healthcare Group plc

Clinician advisory services to Spire Healthcare

Private hospital operators are required to disclose details of certain paid services provided by referring clinicians to private hospitals operators in addition to exercising practising privileges at that hospital. This information can be found on the referring clinician’s individual web page profile on this hospital website.

  • Mr James (Sam) Patton is Co-chair of the Medical Advisory Committee at Spire Edinburgh Hospitals. Their role is to provide senior professional advice to the Hospital Director and Director of Clinical Services in order to support effective medical governance and oversight. They are paid £14,000 per annum for this role and are also entitled to receive the following fees for the provision of additional ad hoc services: (i) £750 for chairing a Professional Review Committee; (ii) £200 per hour for attendance at regulatory or other national body meeting (capped at £500); (iii) £500 for each annual medical appraisal undertaken for a doctor designating to Spire for the purposes of revalidation; (iv) £1,000 per annum for undertaking the role of governance lead in addition to MAC Chair; and (v) £200 per hour for the preparation of an independent report (up to a maximum of £500 per report unless otherwise agreed due to complexity) upon request by the Medical Director or Chief Medical Officer.
  • Dr Miles Behan is Co-chair of the Medical Advisory Committee at Spire Edinburgh Hospitals. Their role is to provide senior professional advice to the Hospital Director and Director of Clinical Services in order to support effective medical governance and oversight. They are paid £14,000 per annum for this role and are also entitled to receive the following fees for the provision of additional ad hoc services: (i) £750 for chairing a Professional Review Committee; (ii) £200 per hour for attendance at regulatory or other national body meeting (capped at £500); (iii) £500 for each annual medical appraisal undertaken for a doctor designating to Spire for the purposes of revalidation; (iv) £1,000 per annum for undertaking the role of governance lead in addition to MAC Chair; and (v) £200 per hour for the preparation of an independent report (up to a maximum of £500 per report unless otherwise agreed due to complexity) upon request by the Medical Director or Chief Medical Officer.
  • Dr Marek Rudnicki (Consultant Anaesthetist) has been appointed as pre-operative lead to facilitate and support the improvement and development of the pre-operative assessment service at Spire Edinburgh Hospitals. Dr Rudinicki is remunerated at £174.83 per hour which is variable and dependent upon the needs of the service.