Sulis Hospital has become the only independent UK hospital to achieve accreditation under the prestigious Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA) scheme. Photo © Tim Gander.
ACSA is the RCoA’s peer-reviewed scheme that promotes quality improvement and the highest standards of anaesthetic service. To receive accreditation, hospitals and departments are expected to demonstrate high standards in areas such as patient experience, patient safety and clinical leadership.
Sulis Hospital has demonstrated excellence across surgical operations and specialist anaesthetic services and underwent a rigorous peer-review assessment against 145 evidence-based standards.
This recognition builds on a series of national accreditations for the hospital. In 2023, Sulis Hospital became the first independent hospital in the country to achieve accreditation as an elective hub under the NHS Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme. This status seeks to reassure patients about the high standards of clinical care.
Simon Milner, Hospital Director at Sulis Hospital, said: “Building on our achievement as the first GIRFT-accredited independent hospital, we are incredibly proud to be the only current ACSA accredited independent hospital.
“These milestones, combined with our excellent patient satisfaction scores and exemplary safety record, demonstrate our commitment to setting the highest possible standards. Our patients can be confident they are receiving anaesthetic care benchmarked against the very best in the UK.”
Lead Reviewer, Dr Jon Chambers, Council Member at the Royal College of Anaesthetists, added: “I am delighted that Sulis Hospital have been awarded accreditation as part of the RCoA ACSA programme. During their review it became clear that they have the patient at the centre of care they deliver. Their commitment to safety, quality and innovation in anaesthetic and perioperative care was clear to see and they thoroughly deserve this recognition.”
Exceptional Outcomes and Patient Care
The accreditation further reinforces Sulis Hospital’s reputation for clinical excellence. The hospital consistently reports exceptionally low infection rates, significantly below national averages, alongside outstanding patient satisfaction with more than 98% of patients reporting their experience as good or very good (based on 3,726 patients providing feedback in 2025).
Dr Jonny Price, Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine at RUH Bath, commented: “Achieving Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA) from the Royal College of Anaesthetists recognises the high quality of anaesthetic care at Sulis Hospital and the strength of the perioperative services that support our patients every day.
“Safe surgery starts long before a patient enters the operating theatre. Modern anaesthesia combines careful risk assessment, shared decision-making, and thorough preparation before surgery, with the safe delivery of anaesthesia and attentive care afterwards.
“Anaesthetists are highly trained specialist doctors whose work often goes unseen, yet is central to patient safety and quality across the hospital. At Sulis, consultant anaesthetists form a close clinical community, working together across the NHS and independent sector in collaboration with colleagues from many medical specialties. This shared expertise ensures that every patient in Bath benefits from the same high standards of perioperative care, wherever they are treated.”
Lay reviewer, Ms Pauline Elliott, also commented: “Congratulations to Sulis Hospital on achieving ACSA accreditation! It was a pleasure to visit the well-run department and meet a cohesive, motivated team. I was especially pleased to learn that private and NHS patients receive the same standard of care. Stand-out examples of their focus on meeting patients’ individual needs were the reasonable adjustments boxes and reasonable adjustments meetings. I’ve promoted this initiative elsewhere because it’s such a good, easily implemented idea. Well done!”
Dr Claire Shannon, President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists said:
“I would like to offer my personal congratulations to Sulis Hospital on achieving ACSA accreditation and becoming the first independent hospital in the UK to achieve this. It is very inspiring to see the commitment and approach of hospital to achieving the highest standards of anaesthetic and perioperative care. They have demonstrated their ability and passion for providing the best possible care for all their patients.
“Patient safety is at the heart of what we do as a Medical Royal College. It was impressive to see the innovative practices taking place at the hospital, and the excellent commitment from all staff during the process. As well as meeting the standards, Sulis has demonstrated many areas of excellent advanced practice that have now been highlighted for sharing through the ACSA network.”
For more information visit https//www.sulishospital.com