Morecambe Bay NHS Trust: Health officials sent in to oversee care

The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust runs a number of sites, including Royal Lancaster Infirmary

Health officials are being sent in to oversee an NHS hospital trust following multiple allegations about poor patient care.

It comes as NHS England ordered an independent review into University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust's (UHMBT) trauma and orthopaedics unit.

An improvement director and a support team will help staff overcome patient care issues, a board report said.

The trust said it was of the "utmost importance" to prioritise its patients.

The UHMBT runs Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Furness General Hospital and Westmorland General Hospital in Lancashire.

Concerns were raised about operations carried out by a surgeon between 2011 and 2018.

After calls from staff and local MPs, NHS England stepped in and ordered the external review into the trauma and orthopaedics unit.

A separate review into its urology department has already begun - at the trust's request - with the findings expected to be published in the spring.

Meanwhile, NHS England has appointed Simon Bennett as improvement director at the trust.

The UHMBT said it has worked "extremely hard" over the past 18 months to make improvements and said it had set up a number of improvement plans.

Two specialist colleagues are also to join the senior leadership team to assist improvement and development.

Aaron Cummins, UHMBT chief executive, said he was "grateful for the support".

The improvement directors will report to both Mr Cummins and to NHS England.

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