Birmingham's Children's Hospital rated outstanding eight years after damning report

Birmingham Children's Hospital has become the first of its kind in the country to be rated outstanding by the health watchdog, eight years after it faced damning criticism for substandard care.

Most areas within the specialist hospital (BCH) were given either the toprating, or classed as good, following an inspection by the Care QualityCommission, carried out last year.

Inspectors highlighted a number of examples of outstanding practice, including the hospital's safety routines within the paediatric intensive care unit, and approach to care of terminally ill children.

The findings, published on Tuesday, also commended the trust's implementation of a rare diseases strategy, describing it as "innovative" in allowing children to have one appointment with all clinicians rather than multiple visits to different doctors.

The trust tweeted: "We're proud to be the first children's hospital in thecountry to be rated 'outstanding' by @CareQualityComm. #ByYourSide".

It added: "So proud of all our staff for helping us to achieve our@CareQualityComm 'Outstanding' rating #Thankyou #ByYourSide."

Staff at the hospital were found to work together well in a supportiveenvironment where they referred to "Team BCH", and were said by parents and children to treat patients and their families with dignity and respect.

Cancer patient referrals were found to meet the treatment targets and allchildren were seen within six weeks of being referred, inspectors said.

Meanwhile the trust's neonatal services were deemed to require improvement, with the watchdog demanding action "to ensure that learning from serious incidents involving neonates ward are shared consistently across the trust".

The trust was also urged to ensure there were appropriate staffing levels within its child and adolescent mental health services to allow "effective"care.

A report in 2009 found patients at Birmingham Children's Hospital (BCH)experienced delays in treatment, substandard care and youngsters beingredirected to other services.

BCH was also criticised in the report, ordered by then health secretary AlanJohnson after concerns raised by consultants appeared in a national newspaper, for its shortage of beds, equipment and access to operating theatres, and an "ineffective" partnership with the University Hospital Birmingham.

The trust was rated as compliant in its previous inspection in 2013.