Spire Healthcare

Profile

Summary

Spire Healthcare is one of the UK’s biggest private healthcare providers. Founded in 2007 by a private equity firm, it has profited heavily off the gradual privatization of the UK's National Heath Service. During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, Spire Healthcare, alongside other private healthcare providers, was criticized for charging the taxpayer huge sums to take advantage of the backlog in demand for healthcare services.

Since 2017, the company was forced to set aside £50 million (US$ 61.45 million) to compensate victims of breast surgeon Ian Paterson who conducted unnecessary and damaging operations on over 1,000 patients. According to an independent inquiry, medical colleagues had been voicing concerns about the Paterson since 2003 but he wasn’t suspended until 2011 after 14 years of problematic work. Two Spire orthopaedic surgeons at Spire's hospital in Solihull, West Midlands, have also been investigated for conducting unnecessary and damaging operations.

Products

Private healthcare services

Violations

TOP OFFENCE GROUPS (GROUPS DEFINED)PENALTY TOTALNUMBER OF CASES
competition-related offences£1,200,0001
employment-related offences£55,3201
safety-related offences£20,1041

(April 3, 2023) 

Number of Records
3
Total Penalties
£1,275,424 (April 3, 2023) 
Individual Records & Summaries
Spire Healthcare Violation Tracker
Information in this section is drawn from the Violation Tracker database produced by the Corporate Research Project of Good Jobs First in Washington DC. It is the most comprehensive source of data on business violations of laws and regulations in the United States. For specific examples of misconduct, please click on the links.

Stories

Article Archive

The Private Sector Will Destroy the NHS, Not Save It

Published by
Jacobin
|
By
Jatinder Hayre
|

Some in the Labour Party support using the private sector to bring down NHS waiting lists. But private health care is about putting profit over helping patients — not saving a public health system.

Read more

NHS privatisation controversy set to continue

Published by
NHS For Sale?
|

Over the last decade the private sector has been given a chance to run a far great range of NHS services, and in areas like mental health and diagnostics the NHS is heavily reliant on their capacity

Read more

Hospital boss who failed to stop rogue breast surgeon butchering women received £10million bonanza AFTER the scandal was exposed

Published by
Daily Mail
|
By
Stephen Wright, Liz Hull, Claire Duffin and Rachel Millard
|
  • Rob Roger received the huge sum before stepping down from Spire Healthcare
  • He was the boss of a the private firm where rogue breast surgeon Ian Paterson butchered hundreds of cancer patients
  • No NHS employees or former employees have been disciplined over the failings
Read more
Videos & Podcasts
Ian Paterson: Spire Healthcare to pay £27m to victims
Ian Paterson inquiry finds 'dysfunctional' healthcare system enabled rogue surgeon | ITV News

 

Breast cancer surgeon guilty
Victim of rogue surgeon Ian Paterson: "He's never given any reason or apology"
Books
CorpWatch Stories
New CorpWatch Guide to Healthcare Privatization in Europe

Paula Reisdorf | CorpWatch | October 24, 2022

CorpWatch is publishing a guide to over a dozen of the worst companies profiting from healthcare privatization in Europe. Workers are being paid less, clinics are being shut, and worse yet: people's health is suffering and death rates are increasing to line the pockets of investors and top managers.

Activism

Recent & Ongoing Campaigns
Bristol's Spire Hospital wants to build a four-storey car park – but some residents aren’t happy

Esme Ashcroft | Bristol Post | January 31, 2018

Some 25 households around the private Spire Hospital in Redland have submitted objections to the 281-space car park proposal, branding it ironic and "extraordinary" that a hospital should seek to increase a reliance on car travel.

Ian Paterson breast op women in Solihull hospital protest

The BBC | March 3, 2015

Women given unnecessary or incomplete breast operations by a surgeon at two private hospitals have protested about delays in receiving compensation.

NHS 'People's March' protests: Thousands join London's new 'jarrow march' in demonstrations against health cuts

Charlie Cooper and Serina Sandhu | The Independent | September 7, 2014

Only last week, three companies – Spire, Circle and Ramsay Health – announced large year-on-year increases in their NHS income. Spire, which has 35 clinics and hospitals which offer NHS-funded care, took £117m of NHS money in the first half of this year – up 29 per cent.


Major Investigations
& Lawsuits
Medical negligence specialists turn to the courts to seek faster legal resolution against Spire Bristol for victims of surgeon Tony Dixon

Thompsons Solicitors | September 2, 2022

A leading medical negligence law firm, with more than 100 ongoing legal claims against Bristol-based mesh surgeon Anthony Dixon, is seeking court approval for an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme – which it hopes will speed up the legal process for his victims at Spire Bristol.

Three inquests following deaths at private hospital in Norfolk

Peter Thurlow | East Anglia Bylines | March 31, 2022

The deaths all occurred at the Spire Hospital, on Old Watton Road in Norwich. The cases are not known to be connected, but a spokesperson for the coroner explained that the three deaths raise similar concerns, and it is proper to investigate them together since there is a potential link.

Spire Leeds: Hospital delayed telling patients about surgeon concerns

BBC | April 29, 2021

A private hospital has been ordered to pay £20,000 after it delayed telling patients about a surgeon's bad practice in the first prosecution of its kind. Upper limb orthopaedic consultant Mike Walsh worked at the Spire Leeds Hospital from 1993 until he was suspended in 2018, a judge was told.

New victims of rogue surgeon prompt private hospital to create £22m fund

Shaun Lintern | The Independent | March 19, 2021

Spire Healthcare’s compensation bill set to hit almost £50m after patients tricked into undergoing unnecessary operations.

Spire admits to price fixing scandal in £1.2m fine

Emily Nicolle | City AM | July 1, 2020

Spire Healthcare has admitted to its part in an illegal price fixing scandal that saw one of its hospitals overcharge patients with eye disorders. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ordered the firm to pay £1.2m in fines following the conclusion of its investigation.

Ian Paterson inquiry: more than 1,000 patients had needless operations

Denis Campbell and Alexandra Topping | The Guardian | February 4, 2020

The rogue breast surgeon Ian Paterson subjected more than 1,000 patients to unnecessary and damaging operations over 14 years before he was stopped, an independent inquiry has found... Despite colleagues voicing fears about Paterson from 2003, he was allowed to continue working and was not suspended by the NHS and Spire until 2011.

Consultant psychiatrist who worked at Leeds Spire Hospital under investigation

Georgina Morris | Yorkshire Evening Post | February 3, 2020

Malikayil Skaria Alexander was the subject of an interim order hearing held in October last year when a number of conditions were placed on his licence.

Widow 'thrilled' by bill to let ombudsman probe private health

BBC | March 20, 2019

But the report did not find negligence in the care provided. Spire was ordered to make a "goodwill payment" of £2,250 to Mrs Lewis.

“Celebrity” doctor sued by 57 patients

Pryers | September 1, 2016

The patients are taking legal action against Dr Nair following prostate, bladder and kidney treatments carried out by the surgeon at Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham and Spire Parkway private hospital in Solihull.

Inquiry: private hospitals ‘overcharge by £200m’

Iona Bain | Financial Adviser | September 4, 2013

The provisional findings from an inquiry into the sector found that the largest three hospital operators – BMI Healthcare, HCA International and Spire Healthcare – have capitalised on weak competition, particularly in areas such as London, to negotiate policy pricing to their advantage.

Duncan Smith's inquiry call over Spire Roding Hospital

BBC | February 17, 2011

Charlie Leahy, who was being treated for terminal bowel cancer, died of a heart attack at the Spire Roding Hospital in Redbridge in 2009. Now a former nurse there has raised questions over his care - leading Iain Duncan Smith to call for an inquiry.


Employment Practices
& Relations
1,500 more patients of jailed breast surgeon Ian Paterson recalled

Andrew Gregory | The Guardian | February 1, 2023

Health officials are recalling a further 1,500 patients of the jailed breast surgeon Ian Paterson, more than two decades after he treated them, after the discovery of an old IT database.

Spire Healthcare patients recalled over shoulder op concerns

Michael Paduano | BBC | October 11, 2022

Spire Healthcare, in Birmingham, would not confirm how many patients of Munawar Shah would be recalled. It comes after Walsall Healthcare Trust announced it was recalling 600 NHS patients who underwent shoulder surgery performed by Mr Shah.

Hull surgeon struck off after injecting patient in wrong hip and then trying to cover it up with lies

James Campbell | Hull Daily Mail | March 14, 2022

Dr Narayanasamy Raghuraman was working at the Spire Hull and East Riding Hospital in Anlaby when he made the terrible mistake although the physical or mental impact on the patient has not been made clear.

Work of third surgeon scrutinised at Ian Paterson-linked private hospital

The Northern Echo | January 28, 2020

A shoulder procedure carried out at the private Spire Parkway Hospital by consultant orthopaedic surgeon Amir Salama was reviewed after concerns were raised about the operation, Spire Healthcare said.

Spire Healthcare: Hundreds of patients recalled over concerns of ‘unnecessary shoulder surgeries’

Conrad Duncan | The Independent | January 24, 2020

Hundreds of patients for the UK’s second largest private healthcare provider have been recalled over concerns about operations performed by surgeon Habib Rahman.

Spire Hospital cancels operations over Christmas amid claims it is ‘filthy’

Conor Gogarty | Bristol Post | December 18, 2019

A whistle-blowing employee said: “The theatres are in a dreadful state of poor cleanliness. They are filthy and have to be deep-cleaned.”

Granddad's bile duct severed during routine procedure at private Solihull hospital

Ed Chatterton and James Rodger | Birmingham Live | December 16, 2019

A grandfather has received a payout from a private hospital after having his bile duct severed during a botched gallbladder operation outsourced by the NHS. Keith Salt, 60, now has a shortened life expectancy after suffering complications during a procedure at the Spire Parkway Hospital in Solihull, West Mids.

Surgeon's slip-up left me in agonising pain: Plastic tube found inside woman months after operation

Express & Star | August 24, 2015

But she says that after Spire Little Aston Hospital took the trouble to anaesthetise her, they immediately stitched back up again having spotted that the cysts were in fact two-and-half inches of plastic tubing, left inside her from a previous operation.


 
Covid-19
Private firms cash in on new Covid surge with 3-month deal to relieve NHS

Bethany Rielly | Morning Star | January 10, 2022

Private firms will be paid millions to treat NHS patients over the next three months as part of a new deal, slammed by campaigners as a “disgraceful waste of public funds.” ... Firms benefiting from the agreement include Practice Plus Group, Spire Healthcare, Nuffield Health and Circle Health Group.

Spire Healthcare boss awarded bonus worth over £300,000 after NHS Covid revenue boost

Jasper Jolly | The Guardian | April 19, 2021

The boss of a private hospital company has been awarded an annual bonus worth more than £300,000 after the business he leads benefited from an NHS contract worth £360m during the Covid-19 pandemic.

UK government accelerates National Health Service privatisation under the cover of the pandemic

Sanya Perera | World Socialist Web Site | April 13, 2021

Having signed up to NHS England’s deals awarding an eyewatering £10 billion to private companies, Spire’s profits, along with more than 90 other providers, are guaranteed for the next four years.

Coronavirus: 8,000 private hospital beds rented to NHS for £2.4million per day

Nigel Nelson and Sean Rayment | Mirror | March 14, 2020

Talks commenced on Friday with private health provider Spire, which has 39 private hospitals across the UK.

Financials

Corporate Headquarters
3 Dorset Rise, London EC4Y 8EN, UK
Most Recent Gross Revenue
$1.36 billion | source
Most Recent Net Revenue
$10.94 million | source
Stock Exchange Tickers
SPI:LSE
Subsidy Tracker
Subsidy Tracker
Subsidy Tracker is a project of Good Jobs First in Washington DC. It is the most comprehensive source of data on state and federal subsidies in the United States. For more details, click on the links.
Subsidy Tracker homepage
Tax Havens
& Evasion
Virgin Care among firms with lucrative NHS deals and a tax haven status

Daniel Boffey | The Guardian | March 21, 2015

"Although Spire has been reconstituted during 2014 as a UK stock exchange-quoted company, it is still controlled by a Guernsey-based private equity operation, while Bio Products Laboratory Holdings is owned from the Cayman Islands by Bain Capital, another private equity fund."

An Unhealthy Business: Major Healthcare Companies Use Tax Havens to Avoid Millions In UK Tax

Corporate Watch | March 17, 2012

Spire Healthcare, the UK’s second largest private healthcare company, is channelling £65m a year through a Luxembourg subsidiary of Cinven, its private equity owner, almost wiping out its taxable UK earnings.

Procurement

CorpWatch is still gathering procurement data on Spire Healthcare at this time.

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