NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) has accepted the Care Quality Commission’s recommendation that United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust should be allowed to exit its national Recovery Support Programme (RSP).

NHSEI’s 21/22 NHS System Oversight Framework (SOF) required trusts and Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) to be evaluated and placed into one of four categories – known as segments 1,2,3 and 4. Those organisations placed in segments 3 and 4 have been receiving mandated support from NHSEI. Those in segment 4, including ULHT, receive intensive support agreed with NHSEI’s regional teams and delivered through the nationally co-ordinated Recovery Support Programme (RSP).

The SOF mandated support scheme replaced NHSEI’s support scheme for trusts who were previously categorised as being in ‘special measures’. ULHT have been receiving additional support from NHSEI since 2017, when they were categorised as being in special measures as a result of both quality and financial concerns. They were confirmed as transferring from special measures to SOF segment 4 in July 2021.

Oliver Newbould, Director of Intensive Support and Director of Strategic Transformation for NHS England and NHS Improvement in the Midlands said: “We have been working closely with the leadership team at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, so we appreciate the enormous efforts they have been making to deliver the improvements required at the Trust.  We agree with CQC that significant progress has been  made in spite of the many challenges faced by the NHS in last couple of years.”

As a result of the CQC’s latest inspection at Pilgrim Hospital and Lincoln County Hospital, the trust’s rating remained as requires improvement. The trust ratings for being effective and well-led went up from requires improvement to good. Safe and responsive remained as requires improvement and caring remained as good. The ratings for medical care and children’s and young people’s services at Lincoln County Hospital from requires improvement to good. Children’s and young people’s services at Pilgrim Hospital went up from inadequate to good. Urgent and emergency services went up from inadequate to requires improvement and maternity services at Pilgrim Hospital went up from requires improvement to good.