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Monitor has put the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn NHS Foundation Trust into special measures because it provided poor care and had weak leadership.

The sector regulator has appointed a new Chair of the board who will oversee a shake-up of the management team, including a new Chief Executive. In addition, Monitor has appointed an Improvement Director, to help turn the trust around.

The intervention follows warnings from the Care Quality Commission that patient care was inadequate, and a report from NHS England that highlighted inadequate nurse staffing levels.

The trust has been in breach of its licence for financial issues since April 2013. But Monitor has decided that, following the concerns about the quality of care provided to patients raised by CQC and NHS England, the situation has become so serious that it should be the first trust to be put into the new special measures arrangements, other than those which entered following the Keogh Review in July.

Announced today:

• The new Chair of the trust will be David Dean, currently Vice-Chair of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London. He replaces Kate Gordon who has stepped down.
• Manjit Obhrai, who was a key member of the turnaround team at Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust as Medical Director, has been appointed as Chief Executive.
• David Hill, who as Chief Executive led the turnaround of neighbouring James Paget Hospital in Great Yarmouth, has been appointed as Improvement Director.
• A partnership arrangement with Guy’s and St. Thomas’ – a high performing NHS Foundation Trust.
• An action plan to put right the quality failings highlighted today, which will be published on the NHS Choices website from early November.

Stephen Hay, Managing Director of Provider Regulation at Monitor said today:

"We have been monitoring the performance of this trust for some time, and it is clear that the current leadership of the trust is not the right one to bring about the changes needed.

"That's why we've taken this action, appointing new leadership and bringing in a team that has a wealth of experience. Special measures will give the trust the opportunity to start delivering the standard of care patients expect."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• For further information please contact Phil Groves, Head of News, press.office@monitor.gov.uk (020 3747 0800)
• Monitor is the sector regulator of NHS-funded health care services. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 its main duty is to protect and promote the interests of people who use them. Information about Monitor's role can be found here.
• Follow Monitor on Twitter @MonitorUpdate