Northern Lincolnshire hospitals show signs of improvement

Inspectors had raised concerns over patient care, staff morale and issues with medical records

Hospitals in northern Lincolnshire have improved standards of care, according to a report by an NHS watchdog.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said Scunthorpe Hospital, Diana Princess of Wales in Grimsby and Goole Hospital now met national standards.

The CQC made unannounced inspections at the hospitals in December.

However, the NHS trust which runs the hospitals remains in special measures after concerns over higher-than-expected death rates.

The CQC raised concerns over patient care, staff morale and issues with medical records after a previous inspection last year.

Inspectors said that the hospitals "had taken action to improve standards of care and was meeting all of the national standards that were reviewed".

'Positive comments'

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Karen Jackson said she was "delighted by the CQC's verdict".

She said: "Staff have worked exceptionally hard over the past year to make sure everything we do, from the care given to patients to our documentation and training, is done well.

"It's very rewarding to read some of the positive comments the inspectors have made in their reports, and we are already working on the areas for improvement that they have highlighted."

In July, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced that the trust, which serves a population of 358,000 people, was one of 11 to be placed in special measures following the Keogh Review into higher-than-expected mortality rates in its three hospitals.

The trust said it was awaiting an inspection in April by NHS Monitor, which is responsible for assessing the trust's progress in reaching the targets set under the Keogh Review.