Warnings to hospitals on care double

THE number of hospitals told to take urgent action to improve care has doubled in a year, figures show.

The Care Quality Commission handed out 135 ‘enforcement actions’ against hospitals in 2016/17, compared with 58 in 2015/16, a report by the watchdog said yesterday.

These are urgent measures issued after an inspection, to protect patients from harm.

The CQC said it had adopted a tougher inspection regime which may account for the rise. But there is also concern that care is getting worse.

An NHS spokesman declined to comment on the increase.