Guy's does not have an emergency department but operates an urgent care centre with more serious emergency care provided at St Thomas' Hospital. 

Antoinette Smith, CQC deputy director of hospitals in London, said: ‘When we inspected the urgent and emergency services run by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, we found most people experienced short waits, compassionate care, and positive outcomes.'

The CQC highlighted the dedicated GP centre at St Thomas' that treated 17-19% of arrivals, while urgent care centres handled minor injuries or illnesses, reserving serious emergency care capacity for those who needed it.

It said staff worked exceptionally well with colleagues, ambulance crews, and other healthcare organisations in the area to keep handovers short and seamless.  

‘Staff were also clear about how long they should expect to wait and provided hot food to anyone waiting more than four hours,' the CQC said.

The regulator also noted how services recognised people's individual needs, noting how staff sped up admission for someone with difficulty hearing, to reduce the risk that they might miss their name being called in the waiting room. The CQC also cited an example when staff walked with a patient with anxiety to where they needed to go so they didn't feel overwhelmed. 

Dr Katherine Henderson, clinical director of adult's urgent and emergency care at Guy's and St Thomas', said: ‘We are extremely proud of this latest report and ratings from the CQC, and I would like to thank the inspectors for their encouraging comments and thoughtful insights.

‘The ratings we have achieved are a testament to the hard work and dedication of all our staff, both clinical and non-clinical, working in these services and supporting patients.

‘I am particularly pleased that our rating for being caring has been upgraded from good to outstanding at both sites. We know we do not always get everything right, but this is an example of the importance we place on continuous improvement, and ensuring our patients remain at the very centre of everything we do.'