Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby and at Scunthorpe General Hospital were upgraded from inadequate to good following a CQC inspection in February.

Chris Storton, CQC's deputy director of hospitals in the North-East, said: ‘At our previous inspection, there was no effective system to accurately identify people who needed end-of-life services. At this inspection, we found clear improvements and saw people being supported into the service by dedicated and knowledgeable staffing teams.

‘We saw a continuity of care with people being seen by the same specialist to ensure they felt comfortable and at ease. Relatives said staff provided emotional support to them and their loved ones and were empathetic and sensitive to the stress and uncertainty associated with life limiting illness and changes in treatment.'

The CQC also rated urgent and emergency care as requires improvement again following inspections in January.

The overall ratings for both hospitals, as well as the trust overall, remain as requires improvement.

Lyn Simpson, group chief executive, said: ‘I am very pleased we've been able to make these improvements for patients in our community. End of life is an extremely difficult time for patients and their loved ones, and we want to ensure they receive the best care during this period. I'd like to say a big thank you to our staff who have worked extremely hard to make this possible.'