A crisis-hit NHS trust facing multiple probes over alleged harm to patients has been slapped with a fresh warning over the safety of those in its care.
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, in Greater Manchester, has been given a formal sanction by the Care Quality Commission after the NHS watchdog identified "significant concerns” with its leadership.
The warning, called a Section 29a notice, was issued on 13 August and highlighted “significant concerns about the trust’s management of risk, patient safety, complaints, freedom to speak up processes and workforce wellbeing and inclusion”.
Such notices are given when the regulator believes there is a systemic issue within the trust, which could result in harm or the risk of harm.
It comes after a series of investigations by The Independent exposing patient safety concerns and whistleblowers alleging that patients have been harmed or died due to poor care across the trust, which treats more than a million patients across Greater Manchester.
A dozen whistleblowers came forward as part of a joint investigation with Channel 4 News last month, warning that failings at the trust could become the next major health scandal, amid allegations that patient deaths and harm were being overlooked.
Source: The Independent, 8 September 2026
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