Leadership at the trust was rated good by the CQC with staff saying the new senior team was ‘making a genuine difference'.
Kevin McNamara joined the trust as chief executive in January 2024 from Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust following the appointment of deputy chief executive and chief operating officer, Al Sheward, in December 2023.
Catherine Campbell, CQC deputy director of hospitals, secondary and specialist care for the South-West, said change at the top of the organisation had really ‘stood out' during the inspection
‘Staff told us they now feel there's stability in the leadership team, and it's making a genuine difference,' Campbell said.
‘Leaders are getting out and about, visiting wards and services, and staff said they feel heard when they raise concerns.'
Cultural shift
The deputy director said the cultural shift had not ‘reached every corner of the organisation yet', however, with some staff remarking senior leaders were less visible in maternity care and describing a blame culture rather than a focus on learning.
‘Real signs of progress' were noted, however, in maternity services at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, which was uprated from inadequate to requires improvement.
Medical care was rated good and urgent and emergency care was rated requires improvement with the trust asked to submit a plan showing what action it was taking in response to concerns.
Conditions imposed upon the hospital's maternity services in 2024 remain in place with monthly reports being made to the CQC.
Maternity services at Stroud Maternity Hospital were upgraded from requires improvement to good.
Chief executive McNamara said: ‘Overall, these reports are a positive reflection of the direction we are taking and whilst the improvements in ratings are positive and welcome, our focus is not on the ratings themselves, but on working hard to do better every day for patients, the public and our colleagues.'
McNamara said improvements had been made to address concerns from some of the inspections that took place around a year ago.
