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 Hull Hospital, Spire Hesslewood Clinic and Spire Lowfield Clinic to referring clinicians and the amounts charged by Spire for those services are set out below:

  • Use of consulting rooms: £26 per hour
  • Medical secretarial services: £24.23 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), access to a virtual consultation solution, 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 (8 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 5 dinners with 70 consultants from across 5 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.

Corporate hospitality events

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:

  • Consultant wine tasting attended by 12 consultants at a cost of £600 on 14 June 2018
  • Consultant rugby game and hospitality including meal and drinks attended by 5 consultants at a cost of £325 on 1 February 2019
  • Consultant Medical Society (MAC) Annual General Meeting and party (AGM) held at the hospital on 6 April 2019 and attended by 57 consultants at a cost of £50 per head
  • Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) dinner on 14 June 2019 at Tapasya restaurant attended by 10 consultants at a cost of £50 per head
  • Primary care education event - Skin cancer and kidney disease event at Lazaat Hotel, Hull attended by 22 primary care practitioners at a cost of £14.95 per head in January 2019
  • Primary care education event - Paediatrics at The Village Hotel, Hull attended by 18 primary care practitioners at a cost of £17.95 per head in February 2019
  • Primary care education event - Urology at Lazaat Hotel, Hull attended by 28 primary care practitioners at a cost of £14.95 per head in February 2019
  • Primary care education event - Cardiology and respiratory at The Village Hotel, Hull attended by 26 primary care practitioners at a cost of £17.95 per head in April 2019
  • Primary care education event - Pension seminar at Spire Hull and East Riding Hospital attended by 16 consultants at a cost of £3 per head in May 2019
  • Primary care education event - Gynaecology at The Park Surgery attended by 8 primary care practitioners at a cost of £3 per head in May 2019
  • Primary care education event - Gynaecology at Lazaat Hotel attended by 16 primary care practitioners at a cost of £14.95 per head in June 2019
  • Primary care education event - Orthopaedics and Physiotherapy at The Village Hotel attended by 15 primary care practitioners and physiotherapists at a cost of £17.95 per head in July 2019
  • Primary care education event - Cardiology at The Park Surgery attended by 10 primary care practitioners at a cost of £3 per head in July 2019
  • Primary care education event - Medical Statistics at Lazaat Hotel attended by 26 primary care practitioners and consultants at a cost of £14.95 per head in September 2019
  • Primary care education event - Orthopaedics at The Village Hotel attended by 29 primary care practitioners and physiotherapists at a cost of £17.95 per head in October 2019
  • Primary care education event - Urology at The Park Surgery attended by 6 primary care practitioners at a cost of £3 per head in November 2019
  • Primary care education event - Cardiology and paediatrics at Holiday Inn Hull Marina attended by 25 primary care practitioners at a cost of £16.50 per per head in November 2019
  • Primary care education event - Ophthalmology at Spire Hesslewood attended by 23 opticians at a cost of £3 per head in November 2019
  • Primary care education event - Dental at Spire Lowfield attended by 10 dentists at a cost of £3 per head in November 2019
  • Primary care education event - Ophthalmology at The Winterton Surgery attended by 6 primary care practitioners at a cost of £3 per head in November 2019
  • Primary care education event - General Surgery and Gastroenterology at Lazaat Hotel attended by 16 primary care practitioners at a cost of £14.95 per person in December 2019
  • Primary care education event - Neurosurgery at The Park Practice, Driffield attended by 7 primary care staff at a cost of £3 per head held in January 2020
  • Primary care education event - Gynaecology at the Village Hotel attended by 30 primary care practitioners at a cost of £17.95 per head in January 2020
  • Primary care education event - Men's Health at Lazaat Hotel attended by 14 primary care practitioners at a cost of £14.95 per head in February 2020
  • No corporate hospitality events were held by the hospital in 2021
  • AGM held on 15 July – virtual no cost
  • Spire Hull and East Riding Hospital hosted a dinner for the Consultants (and partners) on the Medical Advisory Committee (MAC). Eleven consultants, along with some partners, and Senior Managers at Spire Hull Hospital attended the dinner. The total cost per head worked out at approximately £52 per person and it took place on 21 September 2022
  • Primary care education event – Breast care – Virtual, No Cost, held in January 2023
  • Primary care education event – Neurophysiology – Virtual, No Cost, held in February 2023
  • Primary care education event – Cardiology hosted in house attended by 6 primary care practitioners at a cost of (estimated) £8 per head
  • Annual General Meeting party (AGM) held in house attended by 60 consultants and senior hospital members at an estimated cost of £12 per head in June 2023
  • Consultant Medical Society (MAC) meeting held in house before heading to dinner at the Millhouse restaurant attended by 8 Consultants and partners and 6 senior hospital members at a cost of £53 per head in December 2023
  • Consultant Medical Society (MAC) meeting held in house. Attended by 11 consultants and 6 senior hospital members at a cost of £6.50 per head in March 2024
  • Consultant Medical Society (MAC) meeting held in house. Attended by 8 consultants and 5 senior hospital members at a cost of £6.50 per head in June 2024
  • Cosmetic speciality meeting held in house. Attended by 6 consultants and 9 senior hospital members at a cost of £6.50 per head in June 2024
  • Primary care education event – Dermatology – Virtual, No Cost, held in February 2024
  • Primary care education event - Orthopaedic symposium hosted at the Mercure Hotel, attended by 27 primary care practitioners at a cost of £29 per head in July 2024

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:

  • No clinicians at this time.

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.

  • Dr Ganesh Gopalkrishnan has been appointed as a pre-operative lead anaesthetist to run and improve pre-operative assessment clinics at the hospital. Duties include liaising with Pre-Operative Lead Nurse, reviewing patient notes to ensure patient safety, conducting face to face reviews with patients, and leading a team of Consultant Anaesthetists to assist the team further. Dr Gopalkrishnan is paid £200 per hour to provide these services to the hospital.
  • Mr Kevin Phillips is Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee at Spire Hull & East Riding Hospital. 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.