Three North East hospitals among just six per cent of NHS centres rated 'Outstanding' in England

Hexham General Hospital in Northumberland
-Credit: (Image: Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)


Hexham General Hospital, Wansbeck General Hospital and The Dental Hospital in Newcastle are among just 6.8% of NHS Hospitals rated as 'Outstanding'.

It comes as findings state 49% of NHS hospitals in England are currently performing below standard, being rated ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). That’s according to medical negligence specialists Patient Claim Line, which analysed numbers to reveal the best and worst rated NHS hospitals in England.

With the NHS being such a crucial focal point for the new Government, the Patient Claim Line team decided to analyse CQC data for NHS hospitals only, excluding independent hospitals.

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Only 22 hospitals, including Hexham General Hospital and Wansbeck General Hospital, were deemed 'Outstanding' in the recent report. The Dental Hospital in Newcastle Upon Tyne was also rated outstanding. A further 141 hospitals performed as 'Good'.

Hospitals are assessed on five core categories: safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led. These evaluations determine their overall rating, which can be ‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’, ‘Requires Improvement’, or ‘Inadequate’.

The Dental hospital at the RVI Newcastle was also rated outstanding
The Dental hospital in Newcastle was also rated outstanding -Credit:Newcastle Chronicle

Six hospitals across the UK were branded 'Inadequate', including The Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge, and The York Hospital, with London labelled 'the worst rated areas for NHS hospitals in England', as 16 hospitals failed to meet all required standards by the CQC.

Last month, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said: "When I joined the department, it was already clear that the NHS was broken and the social care system in crisis." He added: "But I have been stunned by the extent of the failings of the institution that is supposed to identify and act on failings. It’s clear to me the CQC is not fit for purpose."

The health secretary’s comments follow damning findings of an interim report into the state of the English healthcare regulator, CQC. A senior NHS leader also stated that the health regulator should rethink its one-word ratings system for hospitals following damning criticism of the watchdog.

But critics say that the CQC’s inspections and ratings are reflective of the poor standard of NHS hospitals in England. A full report is due to be published in autumn 2024.

Both the Freeman Hospital, and the Royal Victoria Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle were among the 152 hospitals that were rated 'Requires Improvement.'

NHS leaders have cautioned Labour that additional funding is essential in the October Budget to address a £3 billion deficit in the health service.

Commenting on the findings, Trainee Solicitor at Patient Claim Line, Nermeen Salahuddin, said: "We are deeply concerned by the recent findings that 49% of NHS hospitals in England have been awarded low scores by the independent regulator of health and social care, the Care Quality Commission. These ratings highlight serious issues in patient safety, care quality, and hospital management.

“As solicitors that represent individuals affected by medical negligence, we see first hand the devastating impact that substandard care can have on patients and their families. It is imperative that immediate steps are taken to address these deficiencies and ensure that all patients receive the safe, high-quality care they deserve. We urge the NHS and the Government to prioritize these issues and take swift action to improve hospital standards across the country."