The Care Quality Commission
  • Hospital
  • Independent hospital

Athena Surgical Centre

Overall: Not rated read more about inspection ratings

16 Davy Avenue, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PL 07841 282116

Provided and run by:
RSA Surgical Centre Limited

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of assessment 10 September 2024. Athena Surgical Centre first opened in July 2023. The hospital operated from a stand-alone unit which was newly built in 2023. The facility included 3 theatres and 3 multi-purpose clinical consultation rooms. Since our last assessment, all of the provider’s contracts with external NHS providers for the provision of patient care had ended. The provider was therefore only carrying out surgery on privately funded patients. The service had operated on 11 patients from the start of August to the end of September 2024. The procedures undertaken by the service were mainly Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) procedures, which were undertaken as day cases. We carried out this assessment to determine whether improvements had been made against the requirements of the Section 29 warning notice which was issued during our last assessment in February 2024. We also reviewed concerns received from whistleblowers regarding the quality and safety of the service. We rated safe and well-led as requires improvement because: We remained concerned regarding the service’s learning culture, the management of risks to people across their care journey, and recruitment procedures. Policies, guidelines, and protocols did not always provide clear guidance for staff. The service did not always have effective governance structures and processes. Leaders had not always ensured that concerns identified during our last assessment had been fully addressed. However, leaders had made improvements to the service’s safeguarding, medicines management, and risk management policies and procedures since our last assessment. We found that the service had made improvements against the concerns included in the warning notice. However, the concerns identified during our September 2024 assessment resulted in a breach of 3 regulations, relating to safe care and treatment, fit and proper persons employed, and good governance.

During an assessment under our new approach

Athena Surgical Centre first opened in July 2023. The hospital operated from a stand-alone unit which was newly built in 2023. The facility included 3 theatres and 3 multi-purpose clinical consultation rooms. The service had contracts with 2 NHS hospital trusts to support them with surgical waiting lists for Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) and podiatry. The hospital was also used by consultants to carry out consultations and operations on privately funded patients. Outpatient clinics were also being held at the hospital. This was our first assessment of the service since registration. We carried out this assessment because we received information giving us concerns about the safety and quality of the services provided. We carried out a short-notice announced site visit on 7 February 2024. We rated the service as requires improvement because: Equipment was not always available in accordance with national guidance and best practice. Controlled drugs, records and stationery were not being managed in line with legislation and national guidance. Infection prevention and control measures were not always being adhered to. Risk assessments and discharge summaries were not always completed in accordance with national guidance and legislation. Staffing levels were not always in line with national guidance and legislation. Recruitment procedures were not always operating effectively. Leaders did not operate effective processes for governance, information management and the management of risk, issues and performance. Policies, guidelines, and protocols did not always provide clear guidance for staff, were not always reflective of the service provided, and were not always evidence based. During our assessment, we found concerns which resulted in a breach of 3 regulations. Following our assessment, we issued a warning notice for regulation 12 (safe care and treatment). You can find more details of our concerns in the evidence category findings.