Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey has called for urgent action at Salford Royal after an investigation raised fresh concerns over patient safety and the treatment of staff who speak up.
The Labour MP said she was “incredibly concerned” by allegations about the Northern Care Alliance (NCA), which runs Salford Royal, and said the problems appeared to have worsened since she met consultants and trust executives last year.
Long-Bailey is due to meet all 14 unions representing staff at the NCA today as she seeks assurances that meaningful change will be made.
The Channel 4 investigation, carried out with The Independent, reported allegations from current and former staff that serious incidents were downgraded or closed without proper investigation.
It also raised concerns about overcrowding, staff shortages and patients allegedly being left in pain or deteriorating while waiting for care.
Long-Bailey said staff had previously told her they did not feel able to raise concerns safely, with some wanting to report issues anonymously.
“They didn’t feel they could speak up,” she said. “A lot of staff members wanted to report issues anonymously. They didn’t feel safe even doing that.”
Long-Bailey said she was particularly concerned about the impact on both patient safety and staff workloads.
The NCA was placed under an NHS enforcement notice in June requiring improvements to safety standards in surgical wards and action to tackle backlogs in spinal and gynaecology services.
The enforcement action represents a sharp deterioration in the reputation of Salford Royal, once regarded as one of England’s leading acute hospitals. It was twice rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission before being downgraded in 2022.
The NCA has defended its response, saying patient and colleague safety and wellbeing are its “top priority”.
A spokesperson said the organisation recognised there had been challenges and had already taken action to strengthen governance, improve processes and support staff.
“We have clear processes to investigate incidents and learning from these is an area we need to prioritise,” the NCA said.
The trust also said it had introduced an independent senior nurse to strengthen its approach to concerns raised by staff and pointed to several routes through which employees could report issues.
It acknowledged that patients were sometimes cared for in corridors and temporary spaces, citing pressure on patient flow, A&E waits, delayed admissions and transfers, insufficient bed capacity and delays in discharge.
“Like many NHS organisations, we’re facing challenges,” the NCA said. “We are working to address those concerns and will continue to listen when colleagues tell us we haven’t got something right.”
