Salford Royal surgery unit fails to improve rating

Surgery services at a Greater Manchester hospital have been rated as requiring improvement after an inspection found further work was needed to ensure patients received safe and timely care.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found Salford Royal Hospital had made enough progress to comply with a warning notice issued in October 2025 over staffing levels and risk management, but identified 12 breaches of regulations relating to patient safety, governance and staffing.

The inspection was carried out in May following concerns about staffing, governance and safety processes in gynaecology, spinal surgery and neurosurgery.

Karen Coverley, deputy chief nursing officer, said the trust was pleased inspectors had recognised improvements

Inspectors said some staff had not completed life-support training relevant to their roles, infection-control standards remained below trust targets and incidents were not always investigated in a timely manner.

The report also highlighted concerns over waiting times, discharge delays and patient readmission rates following surgery.

Inspectors said some long-running concerns remained despite improvements made since the previous inspection, while new issues were identified around theatre staffing, medicines management and delays to complaint and incident investigations.

However, they said patients and relatives reported feeling safe and praised staff for treating them with compassion and kindness.

The service's caring rating improved from requires improvement to good.

Gill Hodgson-Reilly, the CQC's deputy director of operations in the North West, said leaders and staff had made improvements since the previous inspection but "more work was needed to ensure people receive safe, consistent care"

Coverley said the trust was pleased inspectors had recognised improvements since the previous inspection and highlighted the service's new improved caring rating.

She said the trust had met the requirements of the warning notice issued last year and had made progress on areas including ward staffing, safeguarding and patient safety processes.

However, she added: "The safety and quality of care for our patients remains our absolute priority and we will keep our full focus on the improvement we know we still need to do."

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