Patients at Norfolk's largest hospital are receiving safer care following a "clear vision" to improve its accident and emergency services.

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) was praised by the Care Quality Commission's deputy chief inspector of hospitals for addressing issues including staffing and infection control in its emergency department, to now be rated good.

In December, the department was rated requires improvement, and criticised for long waiting times for assessment, infection control measures and staffing levels with an enforcement notice issued.

Inspectors found the trust sharpened the department’s response to patients at risk of deteriorating while they waited and that clear and effective leadership aided the process.

This led the CQC to upgrade the department's safety and leadership categories from requires improvement to good.

Professor Erika Denton, chief medical officer, praised staffs "exceptional work" and the difference improvements to staffing, infection control and triage process had made.

She said: “We are delighted that the team’s service improvements have been recognised in providing safer care in this busy environment.

“Further improvements are being taken forward to reduce waiting times for patients through our Safer, Better, Faster programme. This is a whole hospital effort to transfer patients to the wards and discharge them again in a timely way.”

The report noted improvements to national and trust targets for waiting times but the trust remained as requires improvement for its responsiveness.

The CQC said people could not always access the service when they needed it or receive the right care promptly, but processes were in place to monitor patients throughout their wait.

Between January and June 1 this year 22,870 children and 149,732 adults in A&E.

Inspectors reviewed five patients who waited beyond four hours, including a patient who waited more than 13 hours.

The report said: "Unfortunately factors such as waiting for transport, waiting for additional clinical review, or mental health placement were key factors affecting the patients waiting times."

It also said access to support for patients who required mental health support "remained a challenge with the trust".

Fiona Allinson, CQC deputy chief inspector of hospitals, said the trust had benefited from a clear vision and acting quicker, but further work was needed to reduce waiting times.

She said: "I congratulate all the trust’s staff who contributed to the department’s improvements. Their work has improved patient safety."

The trust remains as requires improvement overall.