'A guide to special measures'

In July 2014, Professor Bruce Keogh published his review into 14 failing NHS hospital trusts in England. Following this, Monitor, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Trust Development Authority (TDA) released a joint publication: A guide to special measures.

This was intended as a guide for NHS trusts and foundation trusts to explain:

• why trusts were placed in special measures
• what happened to trusts when they were placed in special measures
• how and when trusts could leave special measures
• the responsibilities of the organisations involved.

Special measures applied to NHS trusts and foundation trusts that had experienced serious failures in quality of care, and consisted of a set of specific interventions which were designed to improve care quality within a reasonable time.

If a trust was placed in special measures it would be subject to the following changes:

• NHS TDA or Monitor would appoint an improvement director to act on behalf of the trust/foundation trust and to provide assurance of their approach to improving performance
• NHS TDA or Monitor would appoint one or more partner organisations to provide support to the trust's/foundation trust's improvement
• NHS TDA or Monitor would review the capability of the trust's/foundation trust's leadership and, if required, make changes to the management of the organisation
• NHS TDA or Monitor would require trusts/foundation trusts in special measures to publish online their progress against action plans on a monthly basis.