Bristol NHS Trust moves from 'requires improvement' to 'outstanding'

University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust was previously rated as “requiring improvement” by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) two years ago.

Professor Sir Mike Richard, the CQC’s chief inspector of hospitals, said it was a “tremendous achievement”.

The trust, which runs Bristol Royal Infirmary and seven other hospitals, was praised for its strong culture of safety in the CQC report.

Inspectors found that staff went “above and beyond” to meet the emotional and physical needs of patients.

Areas of outstanding practice included:

New staff in the emergency department received comprehensive induction and training, overseen by experienced staff – allowing new staff to gain an exceptionally good understanding of their role in the department.
A focus on leadership development at all levels in order to support the culture and development of the trust.
The use of innovation and research to reduce length of patient stay.
The use of a discrete system to highlight and identify patients who had additional needs.

Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, said the success was a “fitting tribute” to “outstanding” staff.

You can read the full Care Quality Commission report for University Hospitals Bristol on their website.