A HOSPITAL trust which was last year told to improve by inspectors has now been rated as good – with some areas of practice identified as outstanding.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough and the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, has been upgraded from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’ by England’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Last year a 45-strong inspection team from the CQC highlighted nursing staff shortages, particularly in urgent and emergency care and children’s services, and said improvements were required in order to provide safe and effective care.

Following a re-inspection in June a report published today found there is still room for improvement in some services, such as processes around maintenance at the Friarage and development of a seven-day palliative care service as part of an end of life strategy.

However overall the trust was found to be good, with outstanding practice including work by their lead nurse on end of life care and efforts to provide care to patients closer to home.

Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Professor Sir Mike Richards said: “During our original inspection, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was going through a significant period of change to re-structure.

“It is clear that this process and the changes that have been implemented as a result, are reflected in the improved quality of care we found at this inspection.

“We came across numerous examples where patient outcomes have improved since our last inspection, which is great news for people using these services.

“These included outcomes for patients with sepsis or non-traumatic chest injuries, children with a fever, and also those patients in an unscheduled return to A&E.”

Trust chief executive Siobhan McArdle said: “This is a big step forward for the trust and a clear demonstration that we are delivering real change for patients.

“Our upgraded rating to ‘good’ is down to the hard work and commitment of our staff, who have worked tirelessly to improve patient outcomes.

“We are incredibly proud of the significant progress we have made.”