CQC sends inspectors into United Lincolnshire

But United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust says the initial feedback from the unannounced inspection was positive.

The CQC visited the trust as part of a “responsive review” at the end of last week. CQC responsive reviews are launched when there is specific information that raises concern about compliance with its standards. The CQC said the results would be published shortly.

The CQC’s intervention came after former chief executive Gary Walker wrote to it detailing concerns he says were passed to him by trust staff after he left.

Mr Walker, who was sacked in February, said: “I can only hope the trust is acting on these concerns and the CQC are taking them seriously.”

Some related to the relative priority given to patients who had been waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment - a key target for the outgoing government.

Mr Walker contacted the CQC around six weeks ago.

He then wrote to incoming health secretary Andrew Lansley, expressing his concern that more was not being done about the allegations. The CQC said the responsive review was not as a result of any communication with Mr Lansley.

The trust’s former chair David Bowles resigned last year, alleging the board was being put under pressure by NHS East Midlands to meet targets at all costs; an inquiry later cleared the SHA of any wrongdoing.

Mr Walker initially went on sick leave, but was then suspended and later sacked, with swearing at work cited as the reason. He is taking the trust to an employment tribunal.

Mr Walker also stood as an independent in Lincoln in the general election.