Safety risks ‘normalised’ under ‘ineffective’ group model

A trust group that has seen a rise in “never events” has been heavily criticised for “inadequate” oversight and management of patient safety. 

An assessment commissioned by the Humber Health Partnership also found incidents were “not always being escalated appropriately” and reported “persistent delays” in addressing issues previously raised by the Care Quality Commission.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole trusts, which formed the group in 2024, were subject to NHS England intervention over major performance, safety and governance concerns last year.

Late last year, the trusts commissioned a firm called Thevaluecircle to carry out an independent review of governance. The assessment, which was finalised in January, has now been released to HSJ following a freedom of information request.

It found there was “inadequate rigour in the management of never events and other patient safety incidents” and claimed risks had been “normalised over time, reducing the sense of urgency and active management”.

HUTH recorded six never events in the six months to January, the ninth highest figure for a provider, while NLAG recorded one. Never events are the most serious preventable clinical mistakes and include wrong site surgery, leaving surgical instruments inside a patient after surgery, and blood transfusion errors.

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Source: HSJ, 7 April 2026