The Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust has taken out of Special Measures three years after they were imposed in 2017.

Kate Shields, Trust chief executive, praised the hospitals’ staff and thanked them for their "incredible efforts."

She said: "Everyone is working very hard to prepare for Covid-19 and this news is a real boost for them and our community.

"It is testimony to the commitment and dedication that everyone in every department at RCHT has shown over the last couple of years to improve the health care we provide for the people of Cornwall. We want to be the best we can be to make that care brilliant.”

The decision was made after a recommendation from Professor Ted Baker, the Care Quality Commission’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals following the last CQC inspection at the end of last year.

Back in February staff were commended for the "tangible signs of improvement" in the latest report from the governing body published that month.

At the time the report recognised improvements in areas including maternity services, end of life care and outpatients services, although it found there was still more to do in urgent and emergency, medical and surgery services, which were rated as "requires improvement."

Read more: Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust coming out of special measure

Professor Baker praised the RCHT’s "journey of improvement and progress" over the past two and a half years, noting in particular:

• Strong, cohesive leadership from the board with a clear understanding of the challenges facing the trust and vastly improved visibility and approachability for staff.

• Strengthened governance and oversight processes, with clearer ward to board reporting supported by an internal restructure from four divisions into seven care groups.

• A vastly improved culture of support, openness, candour and wellbeing, with a strong focus on safety and quality.

• Development programmes for leaders across the organisation to build their skills and enable them to tackle improvements locally.

• A new ‘Being Brilliant’ strategy with three key objectives: Brilliant care; Brilliant People; Brilliant Improvement. Staff had really bought into this concept and they were enthused by and engaged with the programme.

Mairi Mclean, chair of the Trust, said: “RCHT has amazing staff who have embraced the changes brought by our improvement programme to provide Brilliant Care.

"Coming out of Special Measures is proof of that collective effort. They have gone above and beyond to make the Trust a better place to work in and be cared for.

"I thank them very much for the changes they have embraced, they are making a difference to those we all love and care for…the people of Cornwall.”