Hospital Trust placed in special measures amid review of 100 cases of alleged poor care

A hospital trust has been placed into special measures after it emerged that more than 100 cases of alleged poor care are to be reviewed.

NHS Improvement confirmed on Thursday that Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has been placed into special measures following recommendations from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Ian Dalton, chief executive of NHS Improvement, said: “While Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has been working through its many challenges, it is important that the trust is able to deliver the high-quality care that patients deserve.

“The time is right to ramp up our help by placing the trust in special measures.

“We know that the trust welcomes this decision and shares our commitment to turn around its performance and quality concerns for the benefit of patients and the wider community.”

The CQC said last month that it was taking action at the trust following inspections at its maternity and emergency departments.

While its inspection report is still awaiting publication, the CQC said earlier on Thursday that it was “anticipated” it would be placed into special measures.

Its chief inspector of hospitals, Professor Ted Baker, said: “Our inspection report on Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Hospital NHS Trust is currently with the trust for factual accuracy checks and we will be publishing it as soon as this process has been completed.

“Today I wrote to the chief executive of NHS Improvement to say that I anticipated that I would be making a formal recommendation of special measures upon publication of the report.

“I believe there is sufficient evidence that the trust will not be able to make all the necessary improvements in the quality of their services without external support and I asked NHS Improvement to put in place all necessary support without delay.”

The CQC previously said unannounced inspections of some services at the Princess Royal Hospital and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital had led to concerns about its reduced foetal movements guidelines at its maternity services.

Such guidelines direct clinicians on how to care for pregnant women whose babies have reduced their movements, which is sometimes a sign that a baby is unwell.

Inspectors also raised concerns about the trust’s urgent and emergency care, particularly with regard to the treatment and recognition of sepsis – a potentially life-threatening complication of infection.

Conditions placed on the trust include weekly reporting on the action it is taking “to ensure the system in place for clinical management of patients using midwifery services at The Princess Royal and Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals is effective”, the CQC previously said in a statement.

A similar requirement has also been placed upon its urgent and emergency care services.

Senior midwife Donna Ockenden was appointed last year to review 23 cases of alleged poor maternity care at the trust.

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