Hospitals run by one of the UK’s biggest NHS Trusts have been placed in special measures.
Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Rosie Birth Centre, both part of Cambridge University Hospitals Trust, have been deemed ‘inadequate’ by inspectors.
The NHS regulator Monitor has said there are problems with staffing levels, delays in outpatient treatment and governance failings.
It also said the Trust was overspending by £1.2m per week, potentially amounting to a £64m deficit this year.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) repeated these concerns, saying it found staff shortages and long-standing ‘serious’ problems.
It also discovered that routine operations were often cancelled and maternity services were frequently shut.
It has been a rapid decline for Addenbrooke’s, which is considered a world-renowned hospital and a centre of excellence for major trauma, transplants, cancer, neurosurgery, genetics and paediatrics.
Two years ago it was judged to be one of the safest hospitals the country by the CQC. Now it will join 12 other hospitals in special measures.
Chairwoman of Cambridge University Hospitals Trust, Jane Ramsey, said: “I would like to say sorry to our patients for a lack of effective systems and processes across our trust, which led to the CQC rating our hospitals as inadequate.”
“We take this, and being placed in special measures by our regulator Monitor, very seriously. We will take rapid action to address the concerns and maintain our record of safety and high-quality care.”
Stephen Hay, managing director of provider regulation at Monitor, said: “Patients treated at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust deserve to receive the highest possible care, and so the failings that we and the CQC have identified in the trust’s services are disappointing.”
“It’s reassuring that the trust has already started to address some of the issues, but much more needs to be done. Special measures will ensure it gets the help and support it needs.”
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