The NHS care watchdog has launched an inspection of a troubled trust after The Independent exposed delays in diagnosing and treating dozens of patients, including some with cancer.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has sent inspectors to review care at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust in Greater Manchester, just days after The Independent revealed that there were serious concerns about the safety of its gynaecological services.
The trust launched an audit of the care of hundreds of women at Salford Royal Hospital’s gynaecology department in 2024, prompted by concerns that the necessary follow-ups were not carried out.
It found that dozens of patients, including cancer patients, all under the care of Dr Jim Wolfe, were harmed when their diagnosis and treatment were delayed as a result of “admin failures”.
Whistleblowers from the hospital’s gynaecology service came forward to The Independent with further concerns, alleging that the trust’s leadership was ignoring safety issues.
At the same time, an unpublished NHS England review of the service from 2024 warned that it had a “significant backlog” of more than 2,000 patient letters, including test results and referrals for treatment, that hadn’t been sent to GPs as required. This resulted in some patients’ treatment being delayed by at least five months.
The report also warned that the service was “heavily” reliant on agency doctors, and that its ability to provide on-call doctors had been affected by “significant sickness absence and suspension” among its consultants.
Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey told The Independent that staff had been raising concerns to her for months about patient safety, and about a culture within the trust in which they did not feel supported or listened to.
The trust was also criticised by the doctors’ union over an email that warned resident doctors that they may not get jobs if they take sick leave, which the union deemed an “outrageous attempt to bully sick doctors into work”.
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The report comes after The Independent revealed in November that the trust had been handed a warning notice over its surgical services, after a CQC inspection found that patients were left waiting in pain.
Now, the CQC has returned to inspect gynaecological services and surgical services again, after it was notified of fresh safety concerns.
Sources confirmed to The Independent that CQC inspectors had spoken directly with staff about their concerns.
In a statement to The Independent, the CQC said: “We’re carrying out an assessment of surgical services provided by Northern Care Alliance at Salford Royal Hospital, and that includes some gynaecology services delivered at this hospital.
“We will report on the findings from our assessment once complete.”
The trust is also facing a review of its leadership, by the CQC and NHS England. This review will include an assessment of the trust’s culture. An email to staff on Thursday, seen by The Independent, described the review as “well led”.
Last month, the trust’s chief executive, Owen Williams, announced his intention to step down. The trust did not confirm the reason for his planned departure.
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust was approached for comment.
