This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Trust makes ‘major improvements’
Professor Mike Richards, England’s chief inspector of hospitals, from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has recommended that North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust should exit special measures, after an inspection showed it had made ‘major improvements to services’.
The news comes after the trust was originally placed in special measures following a review into high death rates which took place in the wake of the Mid Staffordshire scandal of 2013.
During the inspection, which took place in December last year, the CQC found many improvements had been made across the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven. In recognition of this, the CQC made the recommendation to NHS Improvement for the Trust to exit special measures after nearly four years in the regime.
Overall, the trust has maintained a rating of ‘requires improvement’. However, this inspection saw the majority of services being rated as ‘good’.
Stephen Eames, chief executive at North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We wholeheartedly welcome this CQC report and the news that we are now out of special measures. This is a momentous day for our staff who have been working relentlessly hard for four years to reach this achievement and I am immensely proud of our teams. I also hope this milestone assures our local communities across West, North & East Cumbria that their hospitals are providing quality services.
A CQC spokesman said: "In the past two years there have been significant changes to the senior management team. They have worked well together, with external support, to address the issues identified in both Sir Bruce Keogh's Review and in our subsequent inspections.
"Although there has been progress, particularly in the effectiveness of the services being provided, there is still a lot of work to do."
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt added: "North Cumbria is the final one of the original 11 trusts first placed in special measures to exit the regime, and we know there had been entrenched problems there for some time beforehand.
"That makes the accomplishment all the greater and is another step on the road to making the NHS the safest, most transparent health service in the world."
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