‘Totally unacceptable’: Calls for urgent action over failing hospitals trust
UNDER-PERFORMING: Hull Royal Infirmary is managed by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (HUTH)
By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor
The leadership of the region’s hospitals trust has been called into question after The Hull Story revealed it is now officially one of the worst performing in the country.
The drop from 123 in September 2025 comes despite more than £390,000 being spent between August 2025 and January 2026 on the salaries and expenses of a six-strong ‘improvement team’ of senior managers. Five of the team remain in place.
They were brought in after interim CEO Lyn Simpson took over last July, following the suspension of former CEO Jonathan Lofthouse.
HUTH is also performing worse than the national average for every measure on the NHS England Data Dashboard, including for cancer treatment and A&E waiting times, and remains rated ‘Requires Improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The trust is part of the wider NHS Humber Health Partnership (HHP), which also being moved into the highest level of NHS England scrutiny, known as ‘segment 5’ – reserved for organisations with “significant concerns”.
SEEKING ANSWERS: Hull North and Cottingham MP Dame Diana Johnson
Dame Diana Johnson, MP for Hull North and Cottingham, has demanded answers and said she will be seeking urgent meetings with senior management over the failings.
She said: “While increased Government investment in the NHS is achieving improvements in health services around the country, it is totally unacceptable that Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is providing our constituents with amongst the worst standards of service in the country.
“I know that the workforce have been under enormous pressure in recent years, but it seems that the difficulties have been exacerbated by the turmoil and instability in the trust’s senior management and an improvement team that has failed to improve standards.
“Hull MPs, our constituents and, I know, the Secretary of State for Health, will be especially concerned to learn of the failings around patient safety.
“We want to know how and why this has happened and will be demanding meetings at the earliest opportunity to get answers and urgent action to address all areas of poor performance that have been identified.”
Trade unions have also expressed serious concerns over the situation.
QUESTIONS: Lyn Simpson, interim CEO of NHS Humber Health Partnership, which includes Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Brendan Cafferty, regional organiser of UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “This news comes after a series of concerning decisions made by the interim team running Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
“A constant turnover of senior managers alongside regular changes to structures within the trust has created a sense of uncertainty for staff and a lack of clarity over who is in charge.
“It also raises questions over whether decisions are being made in the best interests of patients.
“Frontline NHS staff want to deliver the best patient care possible to the people of Hull and beyond. They’re proud to work for the organisation.
“But they deserve a senior leadership team that supports them to do that.”
Head of operations for the RCN (Royal College for Nursing) Yorkshire and the Humber region, Peta Clark, said: “Sadly, this news comes as no surprise, but it remains hugely worrying for staff and patients alike.
PRESSURES: The Paediatric Day Surgery Unit at Castle Hill Hospital
“NHS Humber Health Partnership (HHP) is set to become one of the first trusts placed into NHS England’s new Provider Improvement Programme, previously known as special measures.
“The challenges facing HHP have been years in the making. The trust is now facing severe financial and operational pressures, including a £54m deficit requiring a 5.6 per cent efficiency programme.
“At the same time, long‑standing difficulties in recruiting and retaining qualified nurses and other essential staff are being exacerbated by rising demand linked to an ageing population.
“Staff morale is extremely low. Many feel undervalued, unheard and under relentless pressure, despite working tirelessly to keep services running.
“Yet in the face of these mounting pressures, staff continue to show exceptional dedication. It is a testament to their professionalism and commitment that they continue to deliver care in such challenging and difficult circumstances.
“This situation highlights the urgent need for sustained investment in the NHS and its workforce.”
CONCERNS: The trust that manages Hull Royal Infirmary is performing worse than the national average for every measure on the NHS England Data Dashboard
A spokesperson for HHP said: “Humber Health Partnership has been informed by NHS England that it will move into segment 5 of the National Oversight Framework and has agreed a set of enforcement undertakings with NHS England.
“This reflects the scale of challenges which the organisation has been managing for some time. These issues are not new.
“Since the summer, we have taken a deliberate decision to surface those challenges openly through the development of our clinically-led Improvement Plan, launched in January.
“That plan, shaped by frontline clinicians and teams, sets out clear actions to strengthen patient safety, stabilise services and improve reliability of care.
“The additional oversight and enforcement undertakings provide a structured framework to support delivery of that work, including strengthening leadership, governance and organisational arrangements across the group.
“We have launched a new Learning Improvement and Safety Academy to address safety issues, learn from incidents and educate and train our workforce better to prevent incidents from happening again.
“We’ve also set up a Clinical Policy Group with senior doctors and nurses to ensure our clinicians are at the centre of decision-making regarding the delivery of services.”