Our healthcare standards

MRSA is a type of bacteria that is resistant to some antibiotics. A healthy person can carry MRSA on their skin and it won't harm them. But if MRSA gets into the blood stream of a weaker person, perhaps if they have had surgery or are recovering from an illness, it can cause infection.

MRSA can be treated with a range of different antibiotics in line with national UK guidelines.

The rate of MRSA infection is measured in a standard way across all UK hospitals. It is measured by dividing the number of cases of MRSA blood infection by the total number of days that all of our patients have been in hospital, called the number of bed days.

MRSA bloodstream infections

MRSA infection rates at Spire hospitals are extremely low

* NHS hospitals typically face additional challenges as they admit emergency patients via A&E who cannot be screened before admission.

MRSA bloodstream infection (also called MRSA bacteraemia) is the most serious type of MRSA infection. Hospitals in England send data to the Health Protection Agency on confirmed MRSA bloodstream infections. The figures published here do not include the numbers of people colonised with MRSA (where MRSA is carried naturally in the nostrils or on the skin) or superficial infections (where the MRSA infection is limited to the skin and does not enter the body).

How do we keep our MRSA rates so low?

• Most rooms are single occupancy
• We train all staff in exceptional hand hygiene
• We employ our own teams of cleaners, not outside companies
• We screen all high-risk patients
• Operating theatres use filtered air for major orthopaedic operations

The data for each Spire hospital relates to reported MRSA bacteraemia across all Spire hospitals. NHS data taken from the Public Health England.

Clostridium difficile is a type of bacteria that can cause severe and frequent diarrhoea, abdominal pain and fever. In some cases, it can cause a life-threatening inflammation of the bowel. This is known as clostridium difficile associated disease or CDAD for short. In mild cases of CDAD, no specific treatment is required, although any antibiotic treatment may be changed or stopped. More severe cases require treatment with additional antibiotics.

The rate of CDAD infection is measured in a standard way across all our hospitals. It is measured by dividing the number of cases of CDAD by the total number of days that all of our patients have been in hospital (called the number of bed days).

Clostridium difficile infection

Clostridium difficile infection rates at Spire hospitals are negligible

*Patients with more complex needs requiring longer lengths of stay at NHS hospitals are likely to increase clostridium difficile rates.

How do we keep our CDAD rate low?

• Appropriate use of antibiotics
• Most rooms are single occupancy
• We train all staff in exceptional hand hygiene
• We employ our own teams of cleaners, not outside companies

The data for each Spire hospital relates to clostridium difficile infection across all Spire hospitals. NHS data taken from the Public Health England.

Hip and knee replacement operations are very common procedures and for most people the benefits are great. However, all surgery carries a risk of infection in the wound created by the operation and this is known as surgical site infection. Wound infections can be treated with dressings and/or antibiotics.

The rate of wound infection is measured by dividing the number of cases of infection by the number of hip or knee replacement operations completed by the hospital.

Wound infections

Surgical site infection rates at Spire Hospitals are very low

How do we keep our wound infection rates low?

• Most rooms are single occupancy
• We train all Spire Healthcare staff in exceptional hand hygiene
• Patients mobilise as soon as possible to speed recovery
• Operating theatres use filtered air for joint replacement operations

The data for each Spire hospital relates to surgical site infections reported by that hospital during 2018 (where this infection was identified when the patient was an inpatient or following a readmission to that hospital). NHS surveillance rates for surgical site infections (hip and knee replacement 2013 – 2018) are taken from Public Health England.

A return to theatre is when a patient has surgery and needs to return to theatre for an unplanned procedure during the same stay at the hospital.

We measure the rate of returns to theatre in a standard way across all hospitals, by dividing the number of returns to theatre by the number of procedures we have performed.

In 2018, 0.09% of patients required an unplanned return to theatre for further treatment before they were discharged home from Spire Edinburgh Hospitals.

Unplanned returns to theatre

Unplanned return to theatre rates at Spire Hospitals are low.

How do we keep our return to theatre rates so low?

• All treatment is delivered by a consultant on the General Medical Council's Specialist Register
• Every patient undergoes comprehensive assessment prior to surgery
• Every hospital has a dedicated post-operative recovery area

Occasionally, you might need to return for additional treatment following your stay in hospital. Although this is sometimes unavoidable, our good discharge planning and the clear health information we provide helps to minimise the likelihood of this occurring.

An unplanned re-admission is when a patient is re-admitted to the hospital within 31 days of being discharged. The reason for the second admission should be related to the first.

We calculate the rate of unplanned readmissions by dividing the number of readmissions by the number of patients we have discharged from the hospital.

In 2018, 0.33% of patients required unplanned readmission for further treatment within 31 days of their discharge from Spire Edinburgh Hospitals.

Unplanned readmissions

Patients at Spire Hospitals are, on average, at low risk of requiring a readmission for further treatment / return to theatre for further treatment.

How do we keep our unplanned readmission rates so low?

• Every patient has an individual discharge assessment
• By providing information to support a speedy recovery
• By referring to external services where it will help recovery
• By providing GPs with prompt and comprehensive information

During your stay you will be provided with a patient satisfaction survey, which shouldn't take more than a few minutes to complete. The information you provide will be used to help improve our services.

96% of patients would recommend Spire Edinburgh Hospitals to their family and friends following their treatment (based on patient satisfaction data from 2018).

Every healthcare professional must be open and honest with patients when something goes wrong with their treatment or care, causes, or has the potential to cause, harm or distress. Services must tell the patient, apologise, offer appropriate remedy or support and fully explain the effects to the patient.

As part of Spire Edinburgh Hospitals' responsibilities, we must produce an annual report to provide a summary of the number of times we have triggered a Duty of Candour within our service. 

• View our Duty of Candour Annual Report for Murrayfield - 1 January to 31 December 2023
• View our Duty of Candour Annual Report for Shawfair - 1 January to 31 December 2023