University Hospitals Bristol FT gets amber/red Monitor rating

A report to the board said the rating was the result of issues surrounding its histopathy services, which were the subject of a review last year.

It states: “The amber-red governance risk rating reflects the Monitor executive’s regulatory concern following consideration of the issues identified in the trust’s histopathology services, as highlighted in the ‘Independent Inquiry into Histopathology Services Report’, which was commissioned by the trust and published in December 2010.”

Although the inquiry found services were safe, it raised concerns about relationship between clinicians at UHBFT and North Bristol Trust. Those at North Bristol had claimed histopathy services at University Hospitals were unsafe.

The trust received a financial risk rating of four, where five is the best and one the worst.

The report continues: “Monitor have advised that they will undertake a review to understand the basis for the trust board’s assurance that matters highlighted within the inquiry report are not indicative of wider governance concerns at the trust and that the governance concerns within the histopathology service itself have been addressed in a sustainable manner.

“Monitor will communicate its conclusions about any regulatory action required in due course.”