Fordcombe Hospital
Fordcombe Road, Fordcombe, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 0RDContact details and Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
Patient ratings and reviews
Leave a review
Help others by sharing your thoughts and experiences about Fordcombe Hospital.
Reviews
-
Review titled A confusing hybrid
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 05 March 2025
As a private patient, but one who has had experience of the NHS, Fordcombe Hospital is an interesting hybrid. Recently bought by the NHS they do not seem to know what to do with it. There were apparently only two of the 37 available rooms in use at the time of my visit. This suggests that private treatment has considerably decreased since it changed hands but the hospital is not helping to reduce waiting lists. I had been waiting over 18 months for a procedure before giving up on the NHS. You might be correct in regarding rationing as a very successful way of controlling costs. Fordcombe is still essentially private in culture with privacy and confidentiality (both not generally available on the NHS with crowded hospitals and usually open wards, except Pembury) and higher staffing levels than the NHS. The attention from the staff was excellent. The longest wait to answer the call bell was an impressive 8 seconds. The room was very clean and apparently newly refurbished. The influence of the NHS was the unimaginative food, not typical of a private hospital where food is considered part of the treatment although it is important to say beautifully served and presented. The staff, most of whom seemed to be from the Spire ownership were highly professional and competent and had a genuine desire to please which is always a requirement of a service industry. NHS staff are generally too busy/stressed to be able to do the same and the culture is entirely. Other differences from NHS - piped music in the foyer (unnecessary), which was more crowded than most private hospitals. My overall impression was that the private nature of the hospital is in danger of changing to NHS in culture but that taxpayer's money (mine) is being wasted by not using the facilities properly. I should not comment on the doctors as they were treating me privately save to say they exhibited the highest standards of clinical care. As far as a recommendation is concerned I would firmly recommend this for NHS treatment compared to the alternatives, but there are other private hospitals to chose from.
Visited Don't know on March 2025
Fordcombe Hospital has not yet replied.
-
Review titled Great staff
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Genna - Posted on 14 March 2025
Amazing staff and made me very calm and relaxed as I was very nervous about my septoplasty surgery, always kept me updated with updates throughout the day definitely recommend
Visited General Surgery on March 2025
Fordcombe Hospital has not yet replied.
Information supplied by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust