The focused inspections in October 20205 followed warning notices to both services in August 2024 and only examined safety and leadership.

Surgery was upgraded from requires improvement to good overall. It was upgraded from requires improvement to good for safe but again rated requires improvement for well-led.

Urgent and emergency services were again rated requires improvement. For safe the services were upgraded from inadequate to requires improvement but well-led remained requires improvement.

For both services, the CQC highlighted improvements in service management, patient feedback and incident learning with leaders acting quickly on issues to prevent repeated mistakes.

In the surgical assessment unit, the calm environment and improved access to washing facilities and hot food was noted. In urgent and emergency care, the CQC recognised improvements in triaging processes and cleanliness.

However, areas for improvement were identified, including caring for people in temporary escalation during times of service pressure.

The CQC said leaders lacked data on how long people were staying in temporary escalation spaces but noted the hospital was working to improve this.

The trust also did not always ensure children and young people with mental health conditions in the paediatric emergency department had access to dedicated spaces that reduced the risks of self-harm, with staff instead having to stay with them.

Dr Alan McGlennan, chief medical officer and managing director of The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘I am pleased to see that our surgical and urgent and emergency care services have made significant improvements.

‘We know that we have more to do and we are already working to address the points raised by the CQC to ensure that the communities that we serve continue to receive the highest standards of care.'