Video: Health secretary Jeremy Hunt gives Ipswich Hospital his seal of approval

Clinical staff – and the whole Ipswich community – should be very proud of the town’s hospital after it received a glowing report from Care Quality Commission inspectors.

That was the view of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt after a tour of the hospital’s accident and emergency department – a department which was given an “outstanding” rating by the CQC.

Mr Hunt said: “We introduced a much more rigorous inspection system after the Mid Staffordshire Hospital disaster – for Ipswich Hospital to get such a good report is very good news. You should be very proud.”

The Health Secretary was shown the accident and emergency department in operation before visiting the hospital’s control room where the work of the entire complex is co-ordinated.

Visiting the hospital with the town’s Conservative candidate in the general election, Mr Hunt said: “Ben Gummer wanted me to see what they are doing and I am very impressed with what I am seeing.”

He said the current government’s pledge to spend £8 billion more on health over the course of the next parliament showed that it was serious about improving services.

“However to keep that going, we need to keep to our economic plan to ensure there taxes continue to come in so we can invest more in the health service.

“We are seeing the number of doctors and nurses going up year on year – but that is dependent on the growth of the economy as a whole.”

Mr Hunt was at Ipswich at the start of a tour of the region in support of general election candidates. He continued on to Clacton where his party is hoping to win back the seat it lost to Douglas Carswell of UKIP in last year’s by-election.