Services at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust have been praised for meeting good standards of patient care, following a recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC), who are the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England, inspected four services at the Trust, giving surgical services at Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre a rating of ‘Good’ again, and urgent and emergency care and surgery at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital a rating of “Good”. Maternity Services remain ‘requires improvement.’
The NHS trust was also given a rating of ‘Good’ from the CQC for how well-led it is, praising positive staff morale, diversity and inclusion, and the culture of the organisation.
This was the first inspection of some services at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, which opened in late 2024.
Carolyn Jenkinson, CQC deputy director of hospitals in the midlands, said: “We were pleased the trust’s shared direction, vision and strategy aligned with plans and objectives both internally and with partner organisations. The trust worked well with health and social care partners to help people achieve the best possible outcomes in their treatment.”
During the review of urgent and emergency care at the hospital in October and November 2025, inspectors found that staff were caring and committed to giving people the best possible experience and outcomes, and provided care that considered people’s individual needs and preferences.
Inspectors also found that surgery services at the Midland Met had enough qualified and experienced staff who involved people in their care and made sure they understood the treatment they received.
People receiving care at Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre told inspectors they were happy with the care and treatment they received, that staff delivered care that met their individual needs and that staff treated them with kindness.
Diane Wake, Group Chief Executive of Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust and The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust said: “I am incredibly proud that the CQC has rated our Trust as ‘Good’ for how well-led we are.
“This is a significant step forward from our previous rating and reflects the hard work, honesty, resilience, and determination shown by staff every single day.
“Inspectors recognised the progress we have made during a period of huge change – including the opening of the Midland Met and major transformation across our services, highlighted our clear vision and strategy, strong partnership working, our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and the compassionate culture and care across all our sites.
“At the same time, the reports set out areas where we must improve and these will be important areas of focus as we move forward.”