Nuffield Health is the United Kingdom's largest healthcare charity. Established in 1957 the charity operates 31 Nuffield Health Hospitals and 112 Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing Centres. It is independent of the National Health Service and is constituted as a registered charity. Its objectives are to 'advance, promote and maintain health and healthcare of all descriptions and to prevent, relieve and cure sickness and ill health of any kind, all for the public benefit.'

Nuffield Health
Company typeNot-for-profit, limited by guarantee
IndustryHealthcare
Founded1957
HeadquartersEpsom, England
Key people
Alex Perry, CEO
ProductsHospitals, medical centres, health clinics, fitness and wellbeing gyms, rehabilitation centres, physiotherapy, nutritional therapy, occupational health, employee wellbeing
RevenueIncrease £1.238 billion GBP (2022)
Number of employees
16,000
Websitewww.nuffieldhealth.com

As a private provider, fees are charged to patients. In 2022, Nuffield Health had an annual gross income of £1.238 billion,[1] making it the second largest charity operating in the UK.[2]

Nuffield Health operates 250 facilities including 31 private hospitals (29 in England, one in Glasgow, Scotland and a joint venture, Cardiff & Vale, Wales), 113 fitness and wellbeing centres across the UK, and five medical centres.[3]

History

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On 14 January 1957, the British United Provident Association (BUPA) established the Nursing Homes Charitable Trust to acquire and build community facilities equipped for the demands of modern medicine. In 1957 the President of BUPA, William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield, suggested the charity might benefit from incorporating his name so was re-registered as the Nuffield Nursing Homes Trust (NNHT).[4]

At this time the Trust purchased the Strathallan nursing home in Bournemouth for £23,150. It was closed for ten months to be refurbished and reopened as the first Nuffield Hospital. In its first ten years, the Trust acquired and modernised a total of six dilapidated nursing homes and built seven new ones, together providing more than 400 beds.

The earliest purpose-built hospital opened at Woking in 1962; others followed at Exeter, Shrewsbury, Hull, Birmingham and Slough. In 1966, NNHT opened a new flagship hospital in London's Bryanston Square, at a cost of over half a million pounds. The trust ran all sites on a strictly self-supporting, though non-profit-making, basis. Charges from patients were expected to cover not only operating costs but repairs and depreciation.

By 1982, NHHT had grown to 31 hospitals and 1,076 beds. In 1983, the trading name was changed to Nuffield Hospitals, the 'nursing homes' element no longer conveyed the focus on modern hospitals rather than nursing homes. A new direction was taken in 2005, when Tweed Park and Sona Fitness were acquired and merged to become Proactive Health, a new business arm providing clinical health services to public and corporate members.[5] In 2007, Cannons Health & Fitness was acquired increasing services to include physiotherapy, weight management and health assessments.

In July 2008, Nuffield Hospitals, Proactive Health and Cannons merged to become Nuffield Health, connecting fitness, prevention and treatment under a single brand, governance and management structure.[6] The acquisition in 2014 of a further nine health clubs from Virgin Active,[7] LA Fitness in Chester[8] and in 2015, a further two sites in London (CityPoint, Moorgate and Market Sports, Shoreditch)[9] broadened the Nuffield Health national network of Fitness & Wellbeing Gyms to 77 branches.

Development

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In 2016, Nuffield Health acquired 35 Virgin Active clubs. Unconfirmed rumours put the value of the acquisition at £80 million.[10]

Nuffield Health received planning permission in 2016 to build a new hospital on a 5-acre (2 ha) site adjacent to the Manchester Royal Infirmary.[11]

In 2016, Nuffield Health announced their acquisition of cognitive behavioural therapy services into their health and wellbeing services, offering emotional wellbeing services across Britain within fitness and wellbeing gyms and hospitals.

In October 2016, the company formed a partnership with Doctor Care Anywhere, an online primary care provider, which allow their corporate clients to offer employees 20-minute virtual GP appointments, at any time between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. to suit their convenience, whether they are in the UK or abroad.[12]

The Nuffield Health gym at Canary Wharf closed on 30 November 2023, reducing the total number of gyms in the chain to 113.[13]

Awards

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Nuffield Health has won multiple awards, including:

  • Infection Prevention Society Practitioner of the Year 2016, Sue Millward – IPS Awards[14]
  • Best Healthcare & Social Employer runner up 2016 – Bloomberg Best Employers[15]
  • Bronze Award 2016 from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme[16]
  • Best brand architecture solution bronze, Best use of typography bronze and Best visual identity from the healthcare and pharmaceuticals sector bronze 2016 – Transform Awards[17]
  • Best workplace wellbeing provider 2012,[18] 2013,[19] and 2014[20] – Health Insurance Awards
  • Integrated Corporate Wellbeing 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 – Flame[21]
  • Management Excellence 2010 – Laing and Buisson[21]
  • Risk Management 2009 – Laing and Buisson[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Nuffield Health Annual Report 2022 (Page 90 of 112)".
  2. ^ "Top 10 charities".
  3. ^ "About us". Nuffield Health. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  4. ^ "The Nuffield Nursing Homes Trust". British Medical Journal. 2 (5298): 183–184. 21 July 1962. doi:10.1136/bmj.2.5298.183. ISSN 0007-1447. PMC 1925399.
  5. ^ Walker, Tom (3 December 2007). "Nuffield takes over Cannons Health and Fitness". Health Club Management. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  6. ^ "Our history". Nuffield Health. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  7. ^ Phillips, Jak (5 August 2014). "Nuffield Health acquires nine Virgin Active health clubs". Health Club Management. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  8. ^ de Lucia, Carmella (21 August 2014). "Former LA Fitness gym: New Nuffield fitness centre opens this weekend". Chester Chronicle. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  9. ^ "Nuffield increases gym portfolio". Health Investor. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  10. ^ Phillips, Jak (14 June 2016). "Exclusive: Nuffield Health acquires 35 Virgin Active sites". Health Club Management. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  11. ^ Roue, Lucy (5 February 2016). "Planning approval granted for Nuffield hospital". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  12. ^ "Nuffield Health launches employee virtual GP service with partner Doctor Care Anywhere". Tech City News. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  13. ^ "Canary Wharf Gym".
  14. ^ Ward, Dee (27 October 2016). "Daniels Blog". Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  15. ^ Davidson, Lauren (13 January 2016). "The Telegraph". Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  16. ^ "Defence Employer Recognition Scheme 2016". Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  17. ^ "Transform Awards Europe". Archived from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  18. ^ "Health Insurance Daily" (PDF). Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  19. ^ "Incentive & Motivation". Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  20. ^ "2014 Health Insurance Awards". Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  21. ^ a b "2012-13 Nuffield Health Impact Report". Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  22. ^ "2009 Nuffield Health Quality Report". Retrieved 3 May 2016.
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