DORSET’S biggest healthcare provider has taken steps to improve the way it’s run after it was found to be in breach of its licence last year.

The Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust has replaced all but one of its non-executive directors and made the role of governors more effective.

Independent health regulator, Monitor, accused the trust of failing to properly address quality of care issues raised by the Care Quality Commission and for failing to ensure appropriate staffing levels.

The trust was then found to be in breach of its licence for taking too long to make the legally binding changes agreed in April 2013.

Chief executive, Ron Shields, said: “The past 14 months have been challenging but we have made significant changes to how we manage and oversee our services, which will support us to improve for our patients.

“However, there is far more to do to become an exemplary organisation and to progress our ambition to deliver universally excellent services.

“We recognise that many of these things will not happen overnight but we are determined to build on these good foundations and we are optimistic about the future for staff and patients alike.”

Regional director at Monitor, Paul Streat, said: “It’s encouraging to see the trust successfully take action to change for the better. We launched our investigation last year because the trust was not being run well and this was affecting quality of care, and we are now closing it because the trust has improved on both counts. This is good news for people in Dorset who will receive better care as a result.”

Dorset Healthcare based in Poole, provides community health services, mental health, learning disability, addictions, community brain injury, community dental and some primary care services across Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole.

Monitor will continue working with the trust to make sure it builds on its progress.