Urgent and emergency care at hospital rated 'good'

Urgent and emergency care services at a hospital in Nottinghamshire have been rated as "good" by the healthcare watchdog.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out an unannounced inspection of King's Mill Hospital, run by Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in March.

Inspectors also rated the medical care at the hospital, based in Sutton-in-Ashfield, as good, resulting in an overall "good" rating.

Sarah Ivory-Donnelly, the CQC's deputy director of hospitals in the East Midlands, said the watchdog identified "some areas where improvements were needed and were encouraged with the plans already in place".

King's Mill Hospital serves people in north Nottinghamshire, and parts of Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.

In urgent and emergency care, inspectors found that staff worked well with partners such as mental health services and the local ambulance service to ensure care was joined up.

During the inspection, the CQC said it identified a waiting area with no call bells to summon help.

However, the hospital had call bells installed the following day.

Inspectors found in medical care, there was a "proactive culture of safety" and that patients were treated with "kindness and compassion".

The CQC said staff did not always monitor people closely enough after they had received sedation medication, "which put them at risk of undetected changes in breathing and heart rate".

King's Mill Hospital launched a review and put additional training in place in response to the CQC's concerns.

The watchdog said a friend and family survey from December 2025 to February 2026 found 82% of people were satisfied with their care in urgent and emergency services.

Inspectors also found that staff saw themselves as "one big team".

Ivory-Donnelly added: "While staff weren't always able to see people quickly enough, the service was managing pressures across the healthcare system and developing services that met the changing needs of the local population.

"This showed leaders had the foresight to plan ahead, while implementing changes that would help improve people's experiences now."

Philip Bolton, executive chief nurse at the trust, said: "While recognising the challenges facing NHS services across the country right now, the report highlights our commitment to delivering safe and effective care and recognising the positive experiences of the patients, families and communities we serve.

"We are proud of this achievement and remain committed to continuous improvement and building on the CQC's feedback to further enhance the care and experience we provide for our patients."

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