The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published reports following an inspection of urgent and emergency services at University Hospital North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital, in June and August.
Following the inspection, the CQC has rated the services as Good. This reflects the collective hard work, dedication, and professionalism demonstrated across the Trust’s teams.
- University Hospital North Durham: The overall rating for urgent and emergency services has improved from Requires Improvement to Good. Key aspects such as safety, responsiveness, leadership, and effectiveness are now all rated Good.
- Darlington Memorial Hospital: Urgent and emergency services were rated Good overall. Responsiveness, which was previously Requires Improvement, has now also been rated as Good.
- The Trust’s overall rating remains Good.
Inspectors commended the strong leadership, focus on safety and learning, and the kindness and support displayed by colleagues, even in challenging circumstances.
Dr Shafie Kamarrudin, urgent and emergency care group director, commented:
"We are pleased to receive the outcome of this recent CQC inspection and the improved ratings for our urgent and emergency services. This is a direct result of the commitment and resilience of our teams at both University Hospital of North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital.
“The inspection highlighted not only the safe and responsive care we deliver but also the warmth, kindness, and professionalism that patients experience when they visit us, even during our busiest times.
“While we celebrate this success, we also recognise the ongoing pressures our services face, the increased demand being managed currently and the impact this can have on our teams and the experience of our patients. Therefore, we will use this positive development as a foundation to sustain and further improve the care and experience we provide for our patients and local communities."
- In urgent and emergency services at University Hospital North Durham:
- People received care and treatment from a service which understood the diverse health and social care needs of the local community.
- The service had strong external relationships that supported improvement and innovation.
- Staff and leaders demonstrated commitment to improving patient safety and experience through continuous learning and collaboration.
- Staff were supported to prioritise time to develop their skills around improvement and innovation.
- People said the department was clean, comfortable and not too crowded.
- Staff used effective tools to support people who had difficulties with communication.
- In urgent and emergency services at Darlington Memorial Hospital:
- Staff provided safe care and treatment, and the environment was safe and well maintained.
- The service was responsive to the needs of the local community and people could access care and treatment when they needed it.
- There was improved governance and a proactive approach to risk management.
- People using the service, their families and carers were all positive about the staff, who treated them with warmth and kindness on arrival.
- Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it.
- There was a good working relationship with the local mental health liaison teams.
Victoria Marsden, CQC deputy director of operations in the North, said:
“When we inspected urgent and emergency services at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, we found a positive culture where staff put people first to deliver the best possible care. Both services were well-led by strong leaders who embodied the cultures and values of their workforce.
“At Darlington Memorial Hospital, people told us the level of care they’d received was excellent and that all staff were responsive, caring and helpful. When the department was busy, leaders adjusted staffing levels to ensure nobody was waiting too long to be seen.
“At University Hospital North Durham, people were also greeted by kind and supportive staff and didn’t have to wait too long to be seen. Frail elderly people, who were fit for discharge but unable to get prompt transport, were looked after and monitored in the department until it arrived.
“Staff worked well with external services such as mental health and drug and alcohol teams to ensure people’s needs were met during and after their stay in the department.
“Both services promoted a good safety culture where events were investigated, and learning was embedded to promote good practice. Staff spoke of feeling fully supported by leaders and were happy in their roles.
“We will continue to monitor the trust, including through future inspections, to ensure the good standard of care is sustained and any required improvements are made so people can continue to receive safe and appropriate care.”
The full report is available on CQC’s website.
