Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, which is run by Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, received the downgrade following an inspection in January and February.

Chris Storton, CQC deputy director of hospitals (secondary and specialist care) in the North-East and Yorkshire, said hard working staff were not always able to meet people's needs due to the department being extremely busy and overcrowded.

Storton added: ‘Staff reported periods where the service felt unsafe due to high demand, particularly at night, with paediatrics as a particular concern. Despite this, staff continued to prioritise safety and manage risks as best they could under difficult circumstances.'

Inspectors found people, including those with cognitive impairment, were cared for in corridors which limited staff oversight, with some moved overnight to areas not designed for inpatient care.

Handovers were ‘often poor and lacked important details', the CQC said.

On the positive side, staff were aware of the key themes from recent complaints and incidents, and felt confident raising issues and concerns with leaders, the department was visibly clean, with up-to-date cleaning schedules on show and inspectors saw areas of good practice, including mental health liaison support and proactive learning from incidents.

A Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: ‘While we are proud that inspectors recognised the kindness, compassion, and dedication of our staff, it is clear that the pressures on the department have, at times, meant we have not delivered care in the way we want to. That is not where we want to be, and we take full responsibility for putting it right.'

Measures introduced since the inspection include new processes to improve information sharing between internal teams and healthcare partners, and better access to food and drink for patients.