'Failing leadership' at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust

Inspectors said leaders had shown a "collective failure" to demonstrate they had "the skills and abilities to meet the challenges"

"Failing leadership" at two troubled hospitals is "perpetuating poor care" the chief inspector of hospitals says.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has been in special measures since November 2018. Since then further concerns have come to light.

The latest inspections show more services have been downgraded and "further serious concerns" identified.

SaTH said it was taking "immediate action" to improve performance and delivery of care.

Following Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections on 9 and 10 June, focusing on the hospital trust's general medical care and end-of-life care, both the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford's Princess Royal have been rated inadequate on every measure.

Criticism included the competency of staff in some roles, national guidance not being followed for some procedures and the lack of accuracy in patient records.

It included both issues "previously identified" which had not been addressed and "new areas for concern".

The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital's overall rating moved from "requires improvement" to "inadequate"

"The trust's issues have been perpetuated by its leaders' collective failure to demonstrate that they had the skills and abilities to meet the challenges the trust has faced," inspectors said.

CQC Chief Inspector of Hospitals Ted Baker wrote to NHS England's chief operating officer last month about his latest concerns.

The letter, seen by the BBC, said the trust was "normalising poor care" across departments, not just in maternity and emergency care, which have attracted the most criticism in recent years.

Since it was put into special measures, the trust has become subject to a criminal investigation into baby deaths, while an independent inquiry into the same issue has been widened and is now reviewing more than 1,800 cases.

"We have repeatedly called for intervention to support improvement at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust," Mr Baker said.

He therefore welcomed a partnership with University Hospitals Birmingham, announced last week, which is designed to provide "leadership expertise".

He described it as an important "first step towards implementing the urgent changes that are required".

The hospital trust Chief Executive Louise Barnett, who started in February, said: "I am determined we take immediate action to ensure a significant improvement in performance and delivery of care at SaTH."

She said the partnership with UHB would help deliver "a rapid improvement plan" that would "support clinically safe and sustainable patient services".