Countess delivers biggest improvement in Cheshire and Merseyside in latest NHS performance table

publish date: 11.06.2026

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has delivered the biggest improvement of any trust in Cheshire and Merseyside in the latest NHS Oversight Framework league table, rising 24 places to position 98 of 134 Trusts. It is a clear sign that the Trust’s recovery plan is working and that services for local people are improving.

The rise follows a 10‑place improvement during the middle part of the financial year and an earlier rise in ranking, giving the Trust – which runs the Countess of Chester, Ellesmere Port and Tarporley War Memorial hospitals – nine months of sustained progress. This trend has seen the Trust move out of the bottom‑ranked group of acute Trusts nationally, known as Segment 4, with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) showing greater confidence in its stability, leadership and delivery.

Hospital leaders say the improvement reflects an improvement in the Emergency Department (which includes A&E), a significant reduction in long waits for planned care, and a clear plan for modernising services across Chester and Ellesmere Port.

The Countess of Chester Hospital is among the most improved in England over the past 12 months because of consistent delivery across a range of cancer standards and significant reductions in the length of time patients are waiting for planned treatment and diagnostics.

Alongside these improvements, the Trust is also updating its buildings to support better care. The new £110 million Women and Children’s Building opened in September 2025, and work has begun to remove the old building to make space for future clinical services. The renovated Stroke Ward is now open for the many patients who need specialist stroke care, and the new Chester Haematology Centre will open in the summer to give people receiving cancer treatment a safer, more comfortable space. The Trust has also secured further funding to continue investment in its Emergency Department, this time to expand the area where patients are assessed and monitored. These changes are part of a long‑term plan to modernise the site and improve the experience for patients and staff.

Together, these improvements demonstrate the Trust’s unwavering focus on putting patients first and delivering outstanding care to the communities we serve.

Health and Social Care Secretary, James Murray, said: “Patients deserve honesty about how their NHS is performing. By being transparent about outcomes, we're empowering patients, driving improvement and ensuring every part of the NHS is focused on delivering the best possible care.

“These results show where the NHS is getting it right and where we must go further. They also recognise the dedication of NHS staff, including those in Chester, who have worked tirelessly to deliver excellent care for patients.

“After years of underinvestment and falling performance, we're turning the NHS around – cutting waiting lists, improving services and rebuilding a health service people can once again be proud of.”

Over the past year, the Trust has delivered some of the strongest improvements in Cheshire and Merseyside:

• The number of people waiting for treatment has dropped by nearly 17%. This means thousands more people are now closer to getting the care they need.
• More patients are being seen within the NHS’s expected timeframes (the 18-week target). Last year, fewer than half of patients (47%) started treatment within the usual NHS timescale. Now, around two‑thirds do (66.5%) – a big step forward.
• People are waiting less time overall. The average wait has fallen from 23 weeks to 15 weeks, meaning patients are being treated much sooner.
• The Trust is now considered the best in Cheshire and Merseyside for treating minor injuries and illnesses in the Emergency Department. This follows major changes to how emergency care works.
• More people are being seen in A&E within four hours. Performance has risen from 55% to 62%, even though demand has gone up.
• Despite this, A&E is busier than ever. Attendances have risen by 11% in two years (from 83,492 to 92,760), showing the pressure staff are working under.

Jane Tomkinson OBE, Chief Executive of the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our teams have delivered these improvements while facing rising demand and the greater expectations from service users and their families. The commitment, skill and resilience from our staff are the reason people can see real change happening across our hospital – from the improvements in our Emergency Department (A&E) to the new facilities opening on site.”

“We have a clear plan and we are proud of the progress so far, but we are not complacent. We have exciting capital proposals already with NHS England for consideration, and more in development. All of this is about delivering the right care, in the right place, first time and ensuring we meet the requirements of the NHS Ten-Year Health Plan.”

The Trust says the next phase of improvement will focus on bringing more care into the community, including plans for its second Community Diagnostic Centre; continuing to reduce long waits; securing major capital investment to further modernise the estate; expanding research capability; and building towards teaching‑hospital status to strengthen academic partnerships and research opportunities.

Further updates will be shared over the summer as the Trust continues to deliver its improvement programme.