NHS watchdog launches inspection of troubled trust after The Independent exposed failures

The NHS care watchdog has launched an inspection of a troubled trust after The Independent exposed delays in diagnosing and treating dozens of patients, including some with cancer.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has sent inspectors to review care at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust in Greater Manchester, just days after The Independent revealed that there were serious concerns about the safety of its gynaecological services.

The trust launched an audit of the care of hundreds of women at Salford Royal Hospital’s gynaecology department in 2024, prompted by concerns that the necessary follow-ups were not carried out.

It found that dozens of patients, including cancer patients, all under the care of Dr Jim Wolfe, were harmed when their diagnosis and treatment were delayed as a result of “admin failures”.

Whistleblowers from the hospital’s gynaecology service came forward to The Independent with further concerns, alleging that the trust’s leadership was ignoring safety issues.

At the same time, an unpublished NHS England review of the service from 2024 warned that it had a “significant backlog” of more than 2,000 patient letters, including test results and referrals for treatment, that hadn’t been sent to GPs as required. This resulted in some patients’ treatment being delayed by at least five months.

The report also warned that the service was “heavily” reliant on agency doctors, and that its ability to provide on-call doctors had been affected by “significant sickness absence and suspension” among its consultants.

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Source: The Independent, 26 May 2026