An expert medical negligence solicitor based in East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire has expressed ‘grave concerns’ over patient safety after it emerged that the organisation responsible for hospitals in the region has been placed into special measures.

NHS England has informed the NHS Humber Health Partnership (HHP), which operates hospitals in Hull, Cottingham, Goole, Grimsby and Scunthorpe, that it has agreed a framework for enforcement under Segment 5 of the National Oversight Framework – the segment reserved for organisations facing the most significant challenges.

And Grimsby-based Chris Gresswell-Green , a Director and medical negligence solicitor at Switalskis, said the news would be of serious concern to those under the Partnership’s care, especially as the organisation currently ranks towards the very bottom of NHS England’s league table of acute trusts based on patient safety and other key measures.

The NHS Humber Health Partnership includes two NHS Trusts – Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham, and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Scunthorpe General Hospital, the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby and Goole and District Hospital.

Challenges for both Trusts and concerns over leadership

The most recent NHS England league table of acute trusts in December ranked Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 130th out of 134 Trusts in the country, falling from 123rd in September.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust actually improved its ranking slightly but was still listed as low as 115th in the country in the same table. It had been down in 125th place in September’s tables.

Reports on the BBC website also show there have been 19 Never Events – incidents of serious harm occurring to patients which the NHS accepts should never occur – since the Partnership was formed in 2023, with 13 Never Events between June 2024 and August 2025 alone.

NHS England has now placed the Partnership and both Trusts into its new provider Improvement Programme, previously referred to as special measures, and a set of enforcement undertakings have been agreed.

Unions at both Trusts have expressed concerns over Humber Health Partnership’s leadership, high turnover of senior managers and have questioned whether decisions are being made in the best interests of patients.

‘Grave concerns’ – our expert’s view

Chris Gresswell-Green is a Director and medical negligence expert based in the region at Switalskis' office in Grimsby who has supported many patients who have suffered harm at the hospitals operated by NHS Humber Health Partnership.

He said the news would be worrying for patients who have received care, are currently receiving care or who will use both Trust’s hospitals in the future until matters improve.

“This is a grave concern for anyone who relies on these Trusts for their care and it shows that improvements are urgently needed. It can’t come as a huge surprise to anyone with both Trusts ranking so low in the NHS England league tables but this is now the time for urgent action at the Partnership, both Trusts and the hospitals they operate,” he said.

“There have to be serious question marks over patient safety when Trusts rank so poorly against other acute Trusts and we would urge the Partnership’s leadership to prioritise safety in their improvement plan to prevent any other patients experiencing harm.

“A high number of Never Events only emphasises that care at the two Trust’s hospitals is not at the level it should be. Until urgent improvements are made, patients will be concerned and we will continue to hear from people who have suffered harm which is entirely avoidable.

“Patients in East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire deserve better than Trusts and hospitals which are ranked at the very bottom of the NHS’s own league tables. That in itself is a damning indictment of the current standards of care in our region and it has to be dealt with quickly and effectively to restore trust.”