East Kent’s hospitals chief has welcomed “significant improvements” to the trust’s rating – despite news it is to remain in special measures.

And asked whether his £300,000 salary has given the public value for money, Chris Bown has told KentOnline: “That’s a question for the board”.

A care watchdog report released today has upgraded the trust’s status from Inadequate to Requires Improvement.

Mr Bown, parachuted in on a £294,000 paypacket to help save the ailing trust, says the Care Quality Commission(CQC)’s findings are a success.

“I’m pleased for the 7,500 staff the trust employs. This reflects their hard work and dedication,” he said.

“Staff have a lot to be proud of but we can’t be complacent.”

The district’s beleaguered hospitals endured a week-long showdown with the national health watchdog in July after being plunged into special measures last year.

More than 50 inspectors from the CQC visited Kent and Canterbury Hospital, the QEQM Hospital in Margate, Ashford’s William Harvey Hospital, Buckland Hospital in

Dover and the Royal Victoria Hospital in Folkestone, to assess whether standards have improved.

Last September the CQC had identified “serious failures in patient safety and leadership” within the trust.

Its inspectors had also revealed a culture of managerial bullying and “a disconnect” between frontline employees and managers.

"Inspectors found that since the previous inspection the trust had made significant attempts to improve the culture of the trust" - Inspectors' report

The watchdog imposed a programme of improvements needed to see the trust pulled out of special measures.

In today’s report, the CQC acknowledges that “significant improvements” have been made under Mr Bown’s watch.

It says: “Inspectors found that since the previous inspection the trust had made significant attempts to improve the culture of the trust.

“The leadership was now very visible and appeared to have tackled the issues of bullying.

But, inspectors did find further improvement is needed in the emergency department and children’s care.”

Both Buckland Hospital and Royal Victoria Hospital were rated as Good.

Yet inspectors have found that William Harvey Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Hospital and Kent and Canterbury Hospitals require improvement.

Asked what difference patients can expect to see, Mr Bown says he has worked hard to address problems associated with the management.

“One of the key concerns as we saw in the earlier report was that leadership issues were having a negative impact,” he said.

“There was a culture of bullying and harassment identified. If they [frontline staff] feel that then they can’t give their best.”

Despite the improvements, the CQC has opted to keep the trust in special measures for a further six months, with yet another inspection likely at that point. Mr Bown describes the latest report at “balanced and fair”.

“The reinspection took place four months ago and the result is that the trust has moved from Inadequate to Requires Improvement. That’s where the majority of the trusts sit,” he said.

“They recognise significant improvement but clearly there’s further improvements that need to be made.

“I don’t think there are any surprises in the report.

“It’s not unusual to stay in Special Measures after just one revisit. Because at the time leadership was so new you can see why the CQC needs to see that the improvements are sustainable.”

A&E departments 'must improve'

One of the key areas where improvements are required is in the A&E departments’ ‘emergency pathways’ – their discharge of patients once acute care is completed.

“The A&E’s specifically require improvement, particularly the A&E at William Harvey Hospital,” said Mr Bown.

“Most A&E’s are under significant pressure and that increases if it’s difficult to discharge patients once acute care is finished.”

Government targets require a that 95% of patients are discharged from A&E within four hours.

Mr Bown admits that East Kent’s health trust has not hit the target “for a long time”.

“We are starting to see a trajectory of improvement,” he said. “We plateaued in the high 80s – around 88%, but we’re starting more days when we’re over 90%.”

Mr Bown, a 55-year-old father of two, was brought in as an interim chief executive while a permanent candidate is found. He placed outgoing chief executive Stuart Bain.

The trust is actively seeking a replacement though no offer has been formally made yet.

Asked whether there were aspects of his job he wished he had handled better, Mr Bown says further improvements have been made and continue to be made, even since the inspectors’ last visit in July.

Asked whether there were aspects of his job he wished he had handled better, Mr

Bown says further improvements have been made and continue to be made, even since the inspectors’ last visit in July.

“The CQC did the visit three months and a bit after I’d started,” he said. “It would have been nice to have had more time.”

And asked whether he has been worth his generous salary, Mr Bown said: “It’s not for me to judge in particular. That’s a question for the board, and the staff.

“My salary is a matter of public record. The CQC has stated we have made significant improvements. The report has positive things to say about the leadership.

“One of the inspectors said that of the trust he visited in July that it was incredible this was the same trust.

“So I’m very pleased with that.”