TRUSTS in Dorset have been ranked for their openness and transparency with Poole Hospital topping the table.

The data is part of the NHS 'leaning from mistakes league' published by the regulator Monitor this week (MAR 9), and places Poole 30th out of 230 trusts in England for its commitment to ensuring errors and near misses are reported and that staff are confident reporting unsafe practice and feel they contribute to improvements.

Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust was ranked 54th on the list and the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Trust 68th - all three trusts being assessed as 'good' overall.

Dr Angus Wood, deputy medical director of Poole Hospital, said: "We're pleased to note our performance, which demonstrates our commitment to encouraging a culture in which staff in all roles and at all levels feel empowered to report errors or concerns with confidence, and feel they can make a real contribution to improvements.

"We rightly prioritise safe care at the heart of all we do, and safety forms one of the five key pillars of our newly refreshed values as an organisation.

"Membership of national schemes like the Sign Up To Safety campaign also helps to ensure our focus remains on the safest practice.

"Whilst the report is encouraging, we recognise that providing the safest care possible requires a culture of continuous improvement, and we strive to work hard to deliver this for our patients."

There were no 'outstanding' trusts in the county but one - Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, which runs some mental health services in Dorset and Hampshire - was assessed to give cause for 'significant concern'.

Southern Health was criticised for conducting poor quality investigations into the deaths of its patients with learning disabilities and mental health problems in an NHS England report published in December.

The report stated that there was "a lack of leadership, focus and sufficient time spent in the Trust on carefully reporting and investigating deaths".

The 'learning from mistakes league' figures were compiled from the 2015 NHS staff survey and from the National Reporting and Learning System.