The move follows several damning reports into healthcare at Walsgrave, Coventry and Warwickshire and Rugby St Cross Hospitals.

Managers were ordered to improve services after the reports were published in September 2001.

A reinspection of the hospitals has since been carried out by the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) and it published its findings on Thursday.

Progress made

In the report, the CHI points out that the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust (UHCW) has made progress in three out of five areas that were highlighted last September.

The areas that have made progress include:

• The practice of putting a fifth bed in a four-bedded bay

• The high death rates for non-emergency admissions

• The need to focus on current problems rather than the new superhospital

But the commission believes that the relationship between some consultant medical staff and senior managers needs further improvement.

It also pointed out that the trust needs to set out a clearer plan for the reorganisation of the two accident and emergency departments.

Chief executive

Peter Homa, CHI's chief executive, said: "Some staff have done a great deal of work to address our concerns and we hope the trust will continue to strive for further improvements in patient care."