The health services regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), awarded an overall 'Good' rating to medical care at both the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) and Nottingham City Hospital following an unannounced inspection in April and May 2026. The report highlighted that staff treated patients with kindness and dignity, worked collaboratively with partner organisations, and implemented initiatives to enhance patient experiences.
Inspectors noted that staff understood patient needs, delivering consistent, compassionate, and person-centred care. Patients and their relatives expressed satisfaction with the care received, noting that staff dedicated sufficient time despite busy schedules. Both sites received 'Good' ratings across all five domains: Safe, Effective, Caring, Well-Led, and Responsive for medical care.
However, the inspection also reviewed Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) at QMC, which was rated 'Requires Improvement' overall. This reflects ongoing challenges within the Emergency Department and the wider system, including the impact of corridor care. Despite these pressures, patients and families reported positive experiences with staff, who provided effective care and fostered a supportive culture.
Tracy Pilcher, Chief Nurse at NUH, acknowledged the challenging conditions faced by staff, particularly concerning corridor care, and apologised for the environments patients have experienced. She stated that the trust is actively working to address these issues, introducing a new General Internal Medicine ward and a programme to reduce length of stay. Pilcher also noted the positive feedback from patients regarding staff and the supportive culture observed by inspectors.
NUH is collaborating with partners, including EMAS, to improve pre-hospital support for elderly and frail patients through a new frailty pathway pilot. The trust has responded to the CQC report, taking immediate action on issues such as medicine storage compliance and unattended computer security. Reviews of mandatory training in the Emergency Department are also underway.
