Praise for mental health trust after 'good' rating

An NHS trust has improved from a rating of "inadequate" by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to "good".

The Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust had been told to improve after an inspection in 2023.

It provides physical and mental health, adult social care and learning disability services in Shropshire and Staffordshire.

The CQC said the trust was "now providing a safe service that met people's individual needs, which was driven by strong leadership".

The CQC had previously raised concerns that staff shortages affected quality of care.

A report highlighting the new rating followed an inspection in January.

The trust operates units at The Redwoods Centre in Shrewsbury and St George's Hospital in Stafford.

Andy Brand, CQC deputy director of operations in the Midlands, said: "We were really pleased to find the trust had used our previous report and taken on board our feedback to make improvements."

He added that "people told us that they felt safe, listened to and supported by staff" and that "it was encouraging to see how different wards and teams worked together to support each other and share resources when needed".

He said staff and the leadership team at the trust should "be proud of the findings of our report".

The CQC report also found care plans were up to date, that staff were polite and treated people with kindness and respect, and that leaders were approachable, open and visible.

It said there were also enough staff to keep people safe and meet their needs.

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