County Hospital in Stafford rated ‘Good’ by CQC

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust is pleased to announce that County Hospital in Stafford has been rated as good overall.

Following the publication of its official report into medical services at County Hospital, the CQC has confirmed that the overall rating for all services at County Hospital has now moved to good from requires improvement.

The Trust’s rating remain as requires improvement overall.

Simon Constable, UHNM Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted that the hard work and commitment of our staff at County Hospital in Stafford has been recognised.  To be rated as good over all is a fantastic achievement and a true testimony to the dedication and compassion of our staff who have made significant effort to make the necessary improvements for patients in order to achieve this rating.

“We have made some significant improvements since the CQC’s last inspection which was recognised in their report published earlier this month and we are pleased the inspectors found many areas of good practice.

“We recognise there is still much more to do and continue to work to address improvements across both our hospitals so we can also focus on our Trust-wide rating improving.”

Ann-Marie Riley, UHNM Chief Nurse, said: “We are committed to providing the best possible care for our patients. We will continue to develop all of our services as we aim to improve our overall rating for both our hospitals.” 

Andy Brand, CQC deputy director of operations in the Midlands, said: “When we inspected medical services at County Hospital, it was positive that people gave great feedback about their care and treatment, and we found staff worked well together for the benefit of people in their care.

Staff received effective support, supervision and development from leaders and colleagues. For example, staff praised the mental health liaison team who had increased the hours they were available for help and support people in their care. This made a positive impact, and people could now receive support from the team within four hours of admission.

“We will continue to monitor the trust, including through future inspections, to ensure the level of care is sustained and any further improvements are made so people can receive safe and appropriate care.”