The notice was issued on 18 March after NCIC failed to assure the regulator it had taken necessary actions over significant concerns found in an inspection on 16 and 17 February.

Gill Findley, chief nurse at NCIC said: ‘The most important thing is to take immediate action to resolve the issues raised and to make sure they are resolved on a permanent basis rather than a temporary fix. The team in the emergency department have responded really well to the notice and have been determined to make the necessary improvements.'

Findley said urgent care facilities at the Cumberland Infirmary were seeing more than double the patients they were meant for. She said £4m was being invested to stream less urgent cases to the most appropriate place and free up ED for critically ill patients.

A healthcare assistant or registered nurse has been assigned to the ED waiting room to improve the oversight of patients, along with the refurbishment of a dedicated mental health assessment room.

The trust said new processes had been put in place to ensure mental health risk assessments were carried out quickly when a patient arrives in the ED and any safeguarding measures were put in place. It said a recent mental health assessment audit showed it was consistently achieving 100% compliance with patients receiving an assessment.

The CQC has begun the process of taking further regulatory action against the trust.