Transforming Governance and Patient Safety Across 54 Hospitals
As the UK’s largest private hospital group, Circle Health Group operates 54 hospitals nationwide. Their mission is to deliver, safe, effective and high-quality care to patients who pay for themselves, are supported by private insurance or who are supported by the NHS at each of their locations across the UK. Key to making good on that commitment is a robust governance framework. In Radar Healthcare, Circle Health Group found not just a system, but a true “technology partner” with whom they could build upon the foundations of its organisational governance processes and culture.
The Challenge
Like many healthcare providers, Circle Health Group faced the challenge of data sitting in different parts of the business with legacy processes and systems making work in this space difficult. As a complex organisation, caring for over 2 million patients each year, Circle needed to find a solution that enabled the teams to see governance data, incident reports, audits, risks and patient feedback in one easy to use system. As a large organisation, manual processes led to inefficiencies and thus, making it harder to innovate.“Previously, we couldn’t triangulate data meaningfully. Now we can overlap incidents with audits and other governance data to get a fuller picture of patient safety across the group.” Simon Geoghegan Head of Clinical Data Reporting and Governance Systems at Circle Health Group.
The Solution
Radar Healthcare offered an integrated platform tailored to Circle Health Group’s needs. From incident reporting and audit management to embedding the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), the system became a single source of truth for all governance data. “We’ve brought everything into one place, incident management, safety alerts, the audit programme. It gives us one clear action plan, not just at the hospital level but also at the corporate level.” Sharon Stewart, Director of Clinical Governance and Quality Improvement at Circle Health Group.
Key outcomes for a data-driven culture of safety
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PSIRG incident reporting increased by 98% — from 370 in 2023 to 733 in 2024
Driven by improved system integration and more consistent use of Radar Healthcare’s reporting tools. This reflects enhanced visibility and more reliable triage, supporting a more proactive and transparent safety culture.
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Full investigations reduced by 87%:
From 153 (41%) in 2023 to just 19 (2.6%) in 2024, showing smarter, more proportionate handling.
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Live data in Radar Healthcare
Now powers weekly reviews of high-level incidents — enabling faster, more informed decisions.
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From 12 different ad-hock systems to 1
Streamlining systems for ease of use.
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Reporting for meetings has reduced significantly
"With Radar Healthcare, I can click on analytics and download a spreadsheet of all the incidents, near misses, audit scores at the click of a button, this makes reporting into to meeting a five minute job opposed to an hour long task of locating data." Joshua Holland, Health, Safety and Environmental Lead
“Radar Healthcare helps us hone in on lessons learned, which leads to meaningful quality improvement. That’s what governance is all about.”
Transformational impact of Analytics
Radar Healthcare’s Analytics module has redefined how Circle Health Group manages quality, risk, and patient safety. Where once data was buried in spreadsheets and disconnected forms, Radar Healthcare now provides interactive dashboards, real-time notifications, and granular insights across all areas of governance.
“The analytics within Radar Healthcare are absolutely amazing. I can pull and filter reports and really extract the key messages I want to share across the group.” Sharon Stewart, Director of Clinical Governance and Quality Improvement at Circle Health Group.
Key benefits of the analytics capability include:
- Tailored dashboards for each governance committee, allowing each group to see the metrics most relevant to their focus areas.
- Pulse alerts that immediately notify users when thresholds are breached, helping teams act fast and avoid escalation.
- Live comparisons across sites to identify trends in incident types, audit outcomes, and compliance at both local and group level.
- Empowered teams, everyone from clinical managers to heads of departments now uses data more confidently in meetings, leading to more proactive discussions.
“I can quickly assess audit completion and compliance, compare scores across locations, assign actions, and monitor progress. It gives me great oversight and really helps with risk management.” Joshua Holland, Health, Safety and Environmental Lead at Circle Health Group
Radar Healthcare’s analytics go beyond incident reporting, offering integrated insights across audits, risk, and performance. “Analytics has changed how we approach governance. We’re identifying trends early, having more intentional conversations, and taking smarter action.” Donna Doran, Quality and Risk Manager and Infection Prevention Control Lead at Circle Health Group’s Harbour Hospital. Most importantly, this data is no longer locked in reports, it’s part of the live, daily decision-making processes at Circle Health Group.
Embedding PSIRF: From framework to daily practice
The introduction of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) across the NHS and Independent healthcare sector marked a major cultural and procedural shift. Circle Health Group’s desire was to go beyond compliance and embed its principles across the organisation, in a way that felt natural, user friendly and sustainable for teams using it every day.
With Radar Healthcare, Circle Health Group was able to build bespoke PSIRF workflows directly into the system making it part of everyday reporting, rather than a separate or cumbersome process. “Our goal was to make Radar Healthcare guide staff through the PSIRF processes without overwhelming them. We didn’t want them to worry about whether something was PSIRF-related, we just wanted the system to tell them what to do and when. That’s been a big success.” Simon Geoghegan Head of Clinical Data Reporting and Governance Systems at Circle Health Group. Circle Health Group’s desire was to go beyond compliance and embed its principles across the organisation, in a way that felt natural, user friendly and sustainable for teams using it everyday.
Key impacts of the PSIRF integration include:
- Built-in algorithms aligned with Circle Health Group’s PSIRF strategy
- Live ESPA Fields used in real-time committee meetings
- More proportionate investigations carried out at the right level
- Continuously updated templates in line with the latest PSIRP
“Radar Healthcare has transformed how we manage the PSIRF. I can now compare investigations, identify recurring themes, and take real-time action during our live committee reviews. Small changes to reporting, like asking about anaesthetic types in fall incidents have unlocked powerful insights and driven meaningful quality improvement.” Emma Watson, PSIRF Lead at Circle Health Group.Supporting a positive culture
One of the most powerful impacts of Radar Healthcare has been its role in shaping a more balanced and open safety culture. The platform has helped staff not only learn from what goes wrong but celebrate what’s going right.
“Radar Healthcare helps us highlight what went well, as well as what needs improvement, and share that with teams. Staff really value hearing the positive, and it supports a healthier, more balanced culture.” Donna Doran, Quality and Risk Manager and Infection Prevention Control Lead at Circle Health Group’s Harbour Hospital.
Circle Health Group is now actively using the system to capture, surface, and share examples of good practice from across the group, all the way from Scotland to the South Coast. “We treat thousands of patients daily, and it’s important we shine a light on the excellent care being delivered. Radar Healthcare helps us share those positive stories.” Sharon Stewart, Director of Clinical Governance and Quality Improvement at Circle Health Group. This shift has strengthened a culture where staff feel increasingly confident in reporting incidents, raising concerns, and actively engaging in quality improvement.
Looking ahead: Future-focused and AI-ready
With Radar Healthcare embedded in daily workflows and board-level meetings alike, Circle Health Group is setting its sights on continued innovation and future-proof governance.
“We’re keen to move beyond just counting incidents. We want to layer incident data with audit outcomes to uncover deeper insights and correlations.” Simon Geoghegan Head of Clinical Data Reporting and Governance Systems at Circle Health Group.
Some of the key areas of focus for the future are:
- Linking audit and incident data to understand patterns and compliance trends at a more advanced level.
- Embedding AI in governance to support smarter complaints management, predictive analysis, and proactive interventions.
- Shaping the future of Radar Healthcare. Circle Health Group is actively involved in shaping product direction, working with Radar Healthcare’s development teams to enhance the platform based on frontline needs.
“Radar Healthcare’s ease of use supports our open and transparent culture. The more our teams use it, the more value we unlock. And it’s exciting to be part of defining what comes next.” Sharon Stewart, Director of Clinical Governance and Quality Improvement at Circle Health Group.
“One key thing I always say is: the more you use the system, the more you get out of it. I’ve personally supported staff in using each feature, because understanding the system unlocks its full potential.” Anderley Newnham, Quality and Risk Manager at Circle Health Group’s Mount Alvernia Hospital. This reinforces the importance of user confidence and engagement in delivering long-term digital success.
Why Radar Healthcare made the difference
- Integrated system: One platform for all governance areas
- Tailored to you: Built-in PSIRF workflows, custom dashboards, and live alerts
- Analytics led: Drill-down data for smarter and actionable insights
- True partnership: A responsive team focused on collaboration and improvement
- Proven impact: Stronger safety culture, more efficient operations, and better oversight
“Radar Healthcare helps us move from reactive to proactive, from siloed data to unified action. It’s transformed how we deliver safe care at scale.” Donna Doran, Infection Prevention Control Lead and Quality and Risk Manager at Circle Health Group’s Harbour Hospital.
More from the team at Circle Health Group
Interview with Simon Geoghegan, Head of Clinical Data Reporting and Governance Systems at Circle Health Group
Interview with Sharon Stewart, Director of Clinical Governance and Quality Improvement, Circle Health Group
Interview with Emma Watson, PSIRF Lead at Circle Health Group
Interview with Donna Doran, Quality and Risk Manager and Infection Prevention Control Lead at Circle Health Group's Harbour Hospital.
Interview with Joshua Holland, Health, Safety and Environmental Lead at Circle Health Group
Interview with Anderley Newnham, Quality and Risk Manager at Circle Health Group's Mount Alvernia Hospital.
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