The outcome of a review looking into the high mortality rates of fourteen hospital trusts has been announced, with the Government declaring that eleven hospitals are to be placed in special measures after major failings were discovered.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said problems within the trusts were so engrained that urgent action needed to be taken; citing poor care, staffing problems and weak leadership amongst his concerns.
The other three trusts investigated as part of the review, launched after the public inquiry into the Stafford Hospital scandal earlier this year, were also told to make improvements. The health secretary said investigators believed, however, that the leaders of those trusts were capable of making the changes needed.
Teams of external experts will be sent into the other eleven trusts as part of the process of special measures, with the experts working alongside the senior management team.
Mr Hunt said: “We have taken swift and tough action to make sure these hospitals are given all necessary support to improve.
“We owe it to the three million people who use the NHS every week to tackle and confront mediocrity and inadequate leadership head on.”
The 14 trusts are responsible for a total of 19 hospitals across the country.
Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director for NHS England has been leading the probe. He said: “Not one of these trusts has been given a clean bill of health by my review teams.
“These reviews have been highly rigorous and uncovered previously undisclosed problems.
“I felt it was crucial to provide a clear diagnosis, to write the prescription, and, most importantly, to identify what help these organisations might need to support their recovery or accelerate improvement.”