Source · CQC inspection

The Countess of Chester Hospital

Provider Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Type NHS Healthcare Organisation Region North West Last inspected 8 Aug 2025

Overall rating: Requires Improvement  View full CQC report

Domain ratings

Five CQC key questions
Safe
Requires Improvement
Effective
Requires Improvement
Caring
Good
Responsive
Requires Improvement
Well-led
Requires Improvement

Current CQC assessment

Single Assessment Framework

From 2024 CQC rates services through ongoing assessments rather than comprehensive inspections.

Requires Improvement Assessed 8 August 2025
The service is not performing as well as it should and we have told the service how it must improve.
Date of assessment 6 January to 29 May 2025. We conducted an on-site, comprehensive assessment visit of urgent and emergency care services on 24 to 26 February 2025 in response to concerns around access and flow and care of mental health patients and patients in non-clinical areas.Following the assessment, we issued the trust a warning notice under Section 29A of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 on 4 April 2025. The warning notice was issued due to breaches of 5 of the legal regulations in relation to dignity and …

Ratings by service

Urgent and emergency services
Inadequate
Jan 2025

Regulatory breaches & enforcement

Current-framework "must do" equivalent

Breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, stated verbatim in the CQC assessment.

Warning notice Overall
Following the assessment, we issued the trust a warning notice under Section 29A of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 on 4 April 2025.
· 8 Aug 2025 · CQC source
Warning notice Overall
The warning notice told the trust it must make significant improvements to the quality of healthcare provided by the trust’s urgent and emergency care services.
· 8 Aug 2025 · CQC source
Warning notice Overall
The warning notice told the trust it must make significant improvements to the quality of healthcare provided by the trust's urgent and emergency care services.
· 8 Aug 2025 · CQC source
Warning notice Caring
The warning notice was issued due to breaches of 5 of the legal regulations in relation to dignity and respect, safeguarding from abuse and improper treatment, premises and equipment, governance and staffing.
Regulation: Regulation 10 (Dignity and respect) · 8 Aug 2025 · CQC source
Warning notice Overall
Following the assessment, we issued the trust a warning notice under Section 29a of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 on 4 April 2025.
· 8 Aug 2025 · CQC source

Breaches identified (1)

Breach Overall
We rated urgent and emergency care inadequate in 2 key questions, with repeated breaches of the legal regulations.
· 8 Aug 2025

Location details

CQC ID: RJR05
Local authority: Cheshire West and Chester
Region: North West

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