Addenbrooke's: why are internationally renowned hospitals struggling?

Addenbrooke's: why are internationally renowned hospitals struggling? A number of specialist hospitals are facing serious problems with their district general services

The Care Quality Commission’s decision to classify the renowned Cambridge University hospitals foundation trust, which runs Addenbrooke’s hospital, as inadequate is only the latest example of specialist hospitals running into serious problems with their district general hospital (DGH) services.

Imperial College healthcare NHS trust was designated “requires improvement” last December, with concerns over cleanliness, weaknesses in the safety culture and “markedly varied” leadership in its hospitals. The famous John Radcliffe hospital, part of Oxford University hospitals NHS trust, was similarly judged “requires improvement” in May 2014 in light of a failure to learn from “never” events and problems in surgery, while senior doctors were said to be alienated from the board. In January 2014 the CQC issued University College London hospitals foundation trust withfour compliance notices over the risk of unsafe surgery, serious problems in A&E and poor record-keeping on its wards. Continue reading... The Guardian