Worcestershire hospital trust moves out of special measures

The trust manages the Alexandra, Kidderminster and Worcestershire Royal hospitals and had been in special measures since December 2015

Worcestershire's main hospitals have been moved out of special measures after nearly five years.

The hospital trust praised staff and said the news was a "huge vote of confidence".

Previous inspections had highlighted failings in emergency care and described "stretched and overcrowded" services.

However, the Care Quality Commission watchdog recorded improvements through last year.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust runs three hospitals in Worcester, Redditch and Kidderminster.

Its Chief Executive Matthew Hopkins broke the latest news to staff on Thursday, paying tribute to their dedication.

"It is recognition of the progress we have made, and is another very important step forward on our improvement journey, following on from last year's greatly improved CQC ratings and the way we have risen to the unprecedented challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic," he said.

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Mr Hopkins added there was "still much we have to do and many more challenges to overcome" but the announcement was a "huge vote of confidence in our ability to make sure that every patient coming through the doors of our hospitals gets the best, safest, most compassionate care".

A spokesperson for NHS England and NHS Improvement in the Midlands said it was "great news for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals and the population it serves" and was a "testament to the commitment the trust and its staff" in making key improvements.

"We will be continuing to work closely with the trust and the health system in Herefordshire and Worcestershire to help build on their efforts and this success," they added.