Failing trusts threatened with management take-over

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Underperforming trusts face being taken over by management hit-squads from foundation trusts or the independent sector, under latest government plans.

Measures set out by health minister Ben Bradshaw will identify failing trusts, remove poor managers and bring in new management.

Minimum standards of quality, safety and financial management will be set and trusts failing to meet them will be identified as 'challenged'. Such trusts must then agree improvement plans with their strategic health authority, with expected time periods set for progress.

The NHS chief executive will then have responsibility for over-seeing changes which can involve removing local management and bringing in a new management team from either other parts of the health service, foundation trusts or the independent sector.

'The NHS has come a long way in the last ten years, with record investment, more clinical staff, shorter waiting times and better cancer and heart disease survival rates. But there are still unacceptable variations in performance,' said Mr Bradshaw.

'We will not tolerate underperformance in the NHS and for the first time, we will publicly identify those trusts with poor safety and clinical records,' he said.