The inspection took place in February and March 2024, as part of the CQCs planned inspection programme.

Chief nursing officer, Kev Parker-Evans said: ‘Our urgent and emergency services being rated good is an excellent achievement in such a challenging environment. I'm extremely proud of all our colleagues and this overall rating reflects the excellent services they provide.'

As well as urgent and emergency services remaining good overall, the rating for well-led, responsive, caring and effective also remained good.

Parker-Evans continued: ‘I am pleased the CQC has recognised our positive safety-focussed culture, and that our staff treat people with compassion, kindness and dignity. These are the values our trust is based upon, and our staff work incredibly hard every day to put patients at the heart of all that they do.'

The news was not all good, however, as the trust was downgraded from good to requires improvement for being safe due to not all staff being up to date with some elements of mandatory training at the time of inspection, as well as timeliness of the services and staff shortages.

Parker-Evans said: ‘There are still some things we need to improve upon, some of which we have already put in place since the CQC's visit including refurbishments of our waiting room areas providing a better and safer environment for our patients and their families in their time of need.'