A culture of learning from mistakes and hardworking staff are behind a Norfolk hospital being the only one in the county to not be rated as failing.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited the James Paget University Hospital (JPUH) in Gorleston in July, with the report published today branding the centre as good.

It means the hospital is the only one in the county to not be rated as inadequate and failing, which chief executive Christine Allen put 'absolutely all down to the staff teamwork'.

Ms Allen said she was 'just delighted' with the result.

She said: 'In a context of a busy winter and an equally busy, hot summer, we were very pleased.'

Ms Allen said while there was nothing to suggest the trust's rating would change from its previous good stamp, that with CQC inspections 'you never know'.

Which is why director of nursing Julia Hunt said there was an ethos of ensuring high standards every day.

Mrs Hunt said: 'We have a few straplines we say to staff and one is every day is an inspection day and it's their time to shine.

'We've worked with staff so they see the CQC as critical friends.'

Ms Allen said one of the reason's for the hospitals success was because it concentrated on the services a smaller, district hospital was supposed to provide, while working alongside the larger Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

She said: 'The James Paget is in the right place and what is different in a district general hospital is clearly it provides services which are appropriate and that's what it focuses on, that's what we've been focussing on.'

Two particular areas were picked out in the CQC report as outstanding, including end of life care and maternity services.

On maternity Mrs Hunt said: 'It's a challenging local community, there are lots of vulnerable women, so we do a lot of work with those groups.'

Inspectors said: 'Staff within end of life services [went] above and beyond to show compassion to the patients they were caring for in the last days and weeks of life.

'We heard of occasions where staff had facilitated and contributed to helping people fulfil their last wishes such as seeing their pets or being supported to take trips.'