19 Nicola Miller, Hotel Services Manager Spire Cardiff Hospital ' Inspiring People'is a programme run by Spire, in which members of staff can be nominated for an award for going the extra mile. The 2008 national award was won by the Catering Team in Cardiff, headed up by Hotel Services Manager Nicola Miller. " When I took the role of Hotel Services Manager at Spire Cardiff, I already had ideas for improvements" she explains " I refreshed the menus and changed the way food was served. We updated the staff restaurant and we now have better stock control and purchasing, for example, sourcing Welsh lamb locally. When making changes, I feel it's importantto involve staff from the outset, to seek opinions and feedback. This way, we work as a team to achieve the same goal - which ultimately is to provide excellentservice. Spire is a fabulous place to work. Ithas dedication and warmth, and looks after its staff very well. Also, training opportunities are immense. The ManagementStepping- Stones course helped me considerably, teaching me to manage better and to listen to my staff. The Inspiring People awards are really importantin recognising people who are giving 100% commitment. The staff are over the moon, as all their hard work and passion has paid off."

20Spire Healthcare Annual Review 2008 Business review continued Clinical development Spire operates the mostcomplete staff training programme in the private sector - running our own in- house degree programme, accrediting practice for university courses, and employing competency frameworks for all clinical roles including critical care. During 2008, ten candidates completed their NVQs ( six obtained their NVQ Assessor awards), 87 members of staff undertook degree modules, while a further 12 commenced a degree pathway. In 2009, seven Spire staff will complete their Spire degree ( BSc). This is a unique capability thathelps us attractand develop the bestclinical workforce. In addition to training our own staff, we also train NHS staff atour training centres which are accredited by the UK Resuscitation Council. Spire is the only private hospital operator to publish clinical performance information so transparently for each individual hospital in such breadth and depth. Our sustained clinical performance improvements, along with our industry leading PatientReported Outcomes programme, has resulted in winning prestigious industry awards for our high clinical standards, including the Laing and Buisson IndependentHealthcare 2008 award for best' Healthcare Outcomes'. These achievements assure our consultants, GPs and patients of the first- class quality of care delivered on a consistentbasis by Spire's clinical teams. Spire's commitmentto staff Spire employees are stakeholders in our business. Over 200 managers have taken the opportunity to investin Spire and mostemployees hold a stake in the business through the Spire Employee Equity Plan. Construction began in 2008 on Spire's thirty- seventh hospital atShawfair, south of Edinburgh. The £ 25 million investment will provide facilities for day surgery, diagnostic imaging, assisted fertility and outpatient consultation.