Stafford Hospital still fails to meet key hospitals watchdog standards, it has emerged. Although the troubled hospital improved it still falls short on 11 out of 16 essential standards.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC), which replaced the Healthcare Commission, says it recognises progress made but wants further improvements. It is thought 400-1,200 patients died of poor care at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

The CQC told the trust it must continue to make improvements.

In a report it concludes Stafford Hospital services are compliant with five of 16 essential standards with 11 where improvement is required.

The CQC said the trust has made considerable progress in two years and in some areas concerns remain only because improvements need more time to bed in.

The hospital has 28 days to give details of what action they will take. Inspectors will return to review if improvements have been made and to decide if further action is required.

The CQC team will work closely with West Midlands Strategic Health Authority, South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust and Monitor to help the trust. Health care service providers have a legal responsibility to meet all standards.

Inspectors found full compliance over patient consent, meals, partnership working, keeping people safe from harm and assessing and monitoring services but concerns on management of medicines, staff supervision and appraisals and handling of complaints.

Andrea Gordon, CQC West Midlands regional director, said: “I am satisfied the hospital is moving in the right direction, but the trust must not relax its efforts to improve.”

Antony Sumara, Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust chief executive, said: “We need to improve further our practices around prescribing and administering medicines so that we are more consistent, and we have developed action plans to address this.

“We have put in more ward sisters. We have also worked hard on achieving a high level of appraisals across the trust.”

By Shaun Lintern