NHS Trust is praised over standards

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust has been rated as good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The CQC found that improvements had been made since 2016, when an inspection resulted in a rating of “requires improvement”.

This time round, inspectors praised measures to help children feel comfortable in the emergency department at Calderdale Royal Hospital.

Areas of “outstanding practice” included improved access to psychological therapies for patients attending critical care clinics.

The trust also improved the care of babies with life-limiting illnesses after collaborating with a hospice, the CQC said.

Owen Williams, the trust’s Chief Executive, said: “We were inspected in April at the tail end of the worst NHS winter on record so to have attained this rating is a real achievement and reflects all the hard work and dedication by our teams here every day and night of the year for our patients.

“Of course, there is still work to do in some areas and that is already underway so that by the next time the CQC are with us, hopefully, we’ll be outstanding.”