Improvements at the region’s largest hospital have seen it removed from special measures by health watchdogs after almost two years.
The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) was placed into special measures by the Care Quality Commission in June 2018 and told it needed to take serious action to improve.
A subsequent inspection last year found the hospital had not take enough strides forward for these measures to be lifted, though it was acknowledged some progress had been made.
However, in its latest inspection, the results of which have been published today, the CQC was satisfied enough progress had been made to lift the special measures - though the NNUH was still judged as “requiring improvement” as a whole.
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Sam Higginson, NNUH chief executive, said: “All the staff have worked hard in preparing the hospital for dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and though working in extremely challenging times our staff are committed in their care and support of our patients.
“It is in this climate that we have received and welcomed the CQC report and we’re pleased that it recognises the sustained and significant improvements that our fantastic staff have made in patient care here at NNUH.
“We also welcome the CQC’s recommendation that special measures are removed.
“What the staff have achieved is very impressive and the CQC has praised many aspects of care here from end of life care, outpatients and notable improvements in urgent and emergency care and surgery.”
David White, NNUH chairman, said: “This is great progress on our journey to ‘outstanding’.”
The report states: “Staff across all services we inspected treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. We saw people actively involved with their care.
“On the basis of this inspection, the chief inspector of hospitals has recommended that the trust is removed from special measures.”
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While the inspection demonstrated the hospital trust is moving in the right direction, there were still areas the CQC felt needed improving.
The report added: “While there has been improvements in the culture within the organisation this remained a work in progress. We found pockets of poor culture persisted, particularly in the emergency department.
“Staff in other areas felt under pressure and were not always able to offer the care in their environment which they would like to.”
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