WYRE Forest MP Mark Garnier has welcomed a report which says the county’s hospital trust has made some improvements.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) concluded Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust had improved in core services such as urgent and emergency and medical care but still had a lot of work to do, following the last inspection in November.

The trust was placed into special measures in December 2015 and has been subject to frequent inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) during this time.

It is currently rated as ‘Inadequate’ overall.

In November 2017, a team of CQC inspectors visited urgent and emergency care and medical care at the trust’s Worcestershire Royal Hospital and the Alex Hospital.

Although the overall rating for the trust has not changed as a result of this inspection, urgent and emergency care services at both hospitals are now rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ for whether services are safe. Both were previously rated as Inadequate.

Mr Garnier said: “Whilst there are clearly still areas of improvement needed within the trust, the report’s findings are encouraging.

“It indicates that the trust’s leadership team are answering the challenges faced by Worcestershire’s hospitals.

“There is a long way to go, but this is a very positive start. Further core service inspections will take place over the next six weeks which I hope will indicate further improvements.”

Chief inspector of hospitals, Professor Ted Baker, said: “While the improvements haven’t resulted in a change to the trust’s overall rating of Inadequate, and the trust remains in special measures, it demonstrates that the trust is working to improve services for its patients.

“Further improvements are still needed and we will continue to monitor the trust closely. This will include further inspections."

Trust chief executive Michelle McKay said: “Our improved ratings in a number of key areas reflect the hard work done by colleagues across the trust and our focus on improving safety and quality in our hospitals.

“The trust’s leadership team are clear about the challenges which we still face. We understand that local people want to see more progress made, and we share their desire.

“However, we also hope that this report provides some welcome reassurance to all our hardworking and dedicated colleagues, and the people they care for, that we are moving the trust in the right direction and making solid, sustainable improvements, underpinned by our ambitious trust-wide three year culture change programme.”

Full details of the ratings, including a ratings grid, are given in the report published online at http://www.cqc.org.uk/provider/RWP