The inspection was carried out to ensure full oversight of maternity and neonatal services at the trust and was the first time neonatal services had been inspected independently of maternity or children and young people's services.

Amanda Williams, CQC deputy director of hospitals, secondary and specialist care in the South East, said: ‘At this inspection, we found a neonatal unit where staff were providing safe and compassionate care to families during a vulnerable and stressful time for them.

‘It was encouraging to see the trust taking a family-centred approach, ensuring families were actively involved in care planning and decision-making for their babies. Staff routinely included families in ward rounds to help improve their understanding of their baby's condition and proposed treatments.'

Simon Crowther, interim chief executive, said: ‘I would like to thank all colleagues across neonatal services at OUH for their contribution to this significant achievement which reflects their dedication to the babies and families in their care.'

The CQC identified areas where further improvement is needed relating to the environment on the high dependency unit and management of the records systems.

Crowther added: ‘We take these findings seriously and have already begun work to address them. We are committed to ensuring that the physical environment supports the compassionate and supportive care which staff provide to babies and families, and that staff are able to access records when they need them.'