The trust, which operates Bassetlaw Hospital, Doncaster Royal Infirmary and Montagu Hospital, rose from 60th to 45th out of 134 organisations.

Mark Bailey, interim chair of the board, said: ‘Moving up 15 places is a positive step and reflects the hard work, resilience and professionalism of colleagues right across DBTH.

‘I want to place on record a sincere thank you to all of our colleagues. This progress has come during one of the busiest and most challenging periods of the year, and it is down to their continued effort, teamwork and commitment to our patients.

‘We are pleased to see improvement, but we are clear that there is more to do. Our focus remains on delivering consistent, reliable care for our patients and continuing to improve performance in the areas that matter most.'

Despite the progress, DBTH remains in Segment 3 of the NHS National Oversight Framework. While performance in several areas is improving, national rules mean organisations operating with a financial deficit cannot move into a higher segment.

Bailey continued: ‘Over the next few years, we are developing an ambitious and balanced programme to improve access and quality of care, alongside disciplined deficit reduction. This is about making sure our services are sustainable for the future, while continuing to deliver safe, high-quality care for our communities.

‘We know that the experience of our colleagues is central to delivering further improvement, and we will continue to both support, listen and actively involve our teams as this work develops.'