ONE of the region's health trusts has been praised by patients for its emergency care.

The results of the Care Quality Commission's annual survey of inpatients showed that South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was ranked highly in two areas.

The trust, which runs James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough and the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, was ranked among the best performing trusts in the country for its accident and emergency care, and for overall care and treatment.

Responses were gathered from 612 patients, aged 16 and above, who stayed in hospital for at least one night.

The survey looked at 11 areas in total.

In the remaining nine areas South Tees was ranked in the upper end of the “about the same as other trusts” category.

Karen Harwood, lead nurse for patient and carer engagement, said: “We welcome all feedback – good and bad – as it helps us to improve care for future patients.

“We will look at these results, alongside other patient feedback we have collected, to identify any common themes and develop a plan for improvement and these results will support us to identify priority areas.

“We will continue to strive to improve upon the experience our patients receive in our hospitals and our aim is to be among the “best performing trusts” in all 11 areas of questioning.

"WKey to achieving this will be the ability to continue listening and understanding effectively what truly matters to our patients through a variety of methods."

The full survey report can be viewed at www.cqc.org.uk/content/adult-inpatient-survey-2015