Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid has held an urgent meeting with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt following the CQC inspection report which stated the services offered by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust were declining rather than improving.
The Trust has already been in ‘special measures’ since 2015 following its failures and that period will now be extended.
Mr Javid said: “I am disappointed to hear this news.
“I’ve met today with Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, to express my concerns.
“He’s reassured me that this is a top priority on his agenda.
“At this crucial time, it’s important that NHS Improvement and the new Chief Executive ensure we have safe, reliable and high quality local services that residents and patients deserve.
“I know how dedicated our local NHS staff are and how hard they work in caring for residents.
“We must get our local NHS fully back on track.”
Bosses from The Trust, which runs the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch as well as Worcestershire Royal Hospital and Kidderminster Hospital, has been given three to six months to turn the situation around.
The new chief executive at WAHT, Michelle McKay, has only been in post for a matter of months.
She said: “We are disappointed with the CQC’s findings but we fully accept them.
“I am sorry our patients, their families and carers have been let down…but we are determined to put things right.”
She highlighted a number of successes like tackling A&E waiting times, improved training and a renewed focus of referral to treatment times and added: “In six months time I strongly expect things will feel different, that people will be moving forward, those access targets will be improving and that we can say with confidence that we are doing it.
“I am very optimistic.”