A HOSPITAL trust is being investigated over claims of poor emergency care and ‘bullying and harassment’ following a hospital meltdown which left patients in pain on hospital trolleys.

We reported on Friday how a senior doctor who usually deals with disasters like serious car accidents and explosions was called in to Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester on Friday, April 10.

Now the NHS Trust Development Authority has become involved as part of a troubleshooting exercise with an improvement director brought in together with extra senior clinical support.

Patients were forced to wait on trolleys in A&E including one patient with chest pains which prompted the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust to call in the doctor.

The ambulance service took the decision to call in the doctor, the first time in the Royal’s history this step has been taken, when the hospital refused to take more patients despite some being in considerable pain.

The ambulance trust said at one point it had no ambulances because crews were providing care for patients at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, putting other 999 patients at risk.

The ambulance trust complained to the Care Quality Commission, the national health and social care regulator.

A spokesperson for the NHS Trust Development Authority said: “Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is currently facing considerable challenges. To help the trust to tackle these, we have commissioned reviews into how emergency care could be improved and to investigate allegations around bullying and harassment. These reviews are expected to report shortly.

“In the meantime, the NHS TDA is appointing an Improvement Director and providing additional senior clinical support. These individuals will work with the trust on immediate and sustainable changes to overcome the current challenges that they face.

“Despite significant pressures, staff in the emergency departments and ambulance service are demonstrating very high levels of commitment to maintain patient safety. We will support the trust and its staff as they work with local health and social care partners to deliver necessary improvements.

A spokesperson for the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We are grateful for the support of our wider NHS colleagues and partners who continue to work closely with us to help overcome some of the challenges that we are currently facing.

"We look forward to welcoming an improvement director to the trust when appointed to provide us with valuable additional support to deliver long-term improvements for our patients.”

A spokesperson for the Care Quality Commission said: “We are aware of an issue at Worcestershire Acute Hospital’s emergency department which involved West Midlands Ambulance Service taking its own action at the weekend.

"We are in touch with the ambulance trust, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and the Trust Development Authority about this.

“CQC carried out an inspection at the accident and emergency departments at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, both at Worcester Hospital and the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch on 24 March and a report will be published regarding this inspection in due course.

"CQC is taking action with regard to the trust, following it's inspection in March, but our legal processes do not allow us to go in to further detail at this time.

“We are monitoring the situation at the trust closely and will carry out further inspections to check on the trust’s progress or in response to any further concerns.”