Nurses at a criticised Norfolk hospital are feeling 'pride' again in their work as they help the site recover from a series of critical inspections.

Yesterday the governors council at the James Paget University Hospital (JPH) in Gorleston was given an update on how the hospital was addressing concerns raised by the Care Quality Commission(CQC).

The 30 governors heard the JPH's medicine management was an area of major concern for the CQC while its care and welfare provision was of moderate concern and its use of records and documentation was of modest concern.

But the governors and senior hospital bosses heard the CQC was due to report in the next month on improvements it has seen in care and welfare provision and records and documentation thanks to a raft of measures introduced by the JPH.

Measures, which are also tackling the medicine management, include ward risk assessments, a medicine management group, a weekly trust wide review of documentation, new medicine charts and improved training for staff who prescribe medicines and registered nurses who administer it.

The governors also heard three senior nurses had been given the sole role of carrying out a wide ranging audit involving the privacy and dignity of patients, their care and welfare, patient meals, medicine management and staffing.

As result of the work to overcome the faults highlighted in the CQC inspections Julia Hunt, chief matron, said it had boosted morale of nurses as they work together for the future.

She said: 'The element of pride is returning. They are seeing the results of the outcome of their efforts.'

Wendy Slaney, the outgoing chief executive, said the measures and levels of accountability put in place were essentially 'a mock up of the CQC set up'.

The meeting also heard that concerns over the quality of patients' meals were being addressed with governor John Pope saying he was very impressed with the roles of meal time co-ordinators.

Another measure being introduced to improve the patient experience will see patients asked for their views on the JPH when they are discharged.

Yesterday's meeting was also given an update on a consultation which was launched at the JPH at the end of year and which saw patients asked about their views on the hospital to see ways it can be improved.

More than 80 patients took part with more than 40pc of comments being about positive experiences at the JPH with the remainder focusing on negative experiences and areas of improvement. About 800 staff and governers also took part in the consultation.

A recent survey also showed the JPH receives 368 compliments a week across the organisational board.

In December a warning notice from the CQC was lifted after it carried out an unannounced fourth inspection of the JPH following three previous failed inspections.