The rating was given following an inspection in October.

Carolyn Jenkinson, CQC deputy director of hospitals, said: ‘When we inspected the emergency department, we found staff working very hard to meet people's needs under very high pressure.  

‘The trust faced issues with the high number of people attending the department and delays in treatment or admission to the hospital, creating overcrowding. This isn't something the trust could solve alone, and further support was needed from the local health and care system to address this. 

‘Some people had to be cared for in corridors, but the trust had deployed extra staff to reduce the risks from this and staff were doing their best to keep people comfortable. However, impacts on people's safety and privacy remained. For example, staff weren't always checking thoroughly for sepsis, which could be dangerous if someone began deteriorating.'

Whittington Health NHS Trust has this month unveiled plans to expand the size of its busy dmergency department unit to ease overcrowding.

Selina Douglas, chief executive, said: ‘We have known for a long time that crowding in our emergency department makes it harder to provide the high quality and dignified care that our patients rightly expect. I want to be clear that this new space won't give us all of the additional space that we need but it will help to ease crowding in the department whilst we plan for more significant, long-term changes.'