NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) will be providing additional support to Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) in response to concerns with quality of care, governance and leadership at the Trust.

As part of the national Recovery Support Programme, the Trust will be provided with mandated support due to concerns that improvements, particularly in maternity services, are not being made quickly enough and that the existing leadership cannot make the necessary changes without further support.

The action follows an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in July, with findings published today.

Progress will be reviewed regularly through strengthened oversight arrangements to ensure that the Trust is taking necessary action and ensuring that improvements happen as quickly as possible.

Further information

• NUH will be placed into ‘segment 4’ of the NHS System Oversight Framework.
• To be considered for removal from mandated intensive support, NUH must demonstrate that the exit criteria have been met. In deciding whether to accept a recommendation to approve exit, NHSEI will also consider the proposed post-exit support package that will be needed to ensure the improvement is sustained.
• Existing improvement support already offered by NHSEI includes the appointment of an improvement director and maternity improvement advisor, dedicated on-site senior clinicians, external buddying arrangements and the introduction of a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian support programme to allow staff to voice their concerns anonymously.