CQC Finds 12 Breaches at Salford Royal Surgery, Manchester 2026

Key Points

• Another negative report has been issued to Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust.
• Surgical services at Salford Royal Hospital were inspected by the Care Quality Commission.
• The inspection report highlighted 12 violations of legal regulations, including worries about safe care, governance, and staffing.
• The service still remains “requires improvement,” despite the fact that it had been following a previous warning notice.
• Shortage of staff, poor confidence, canceled operations, and insufficient pre-operative assessment continued to remain issues.
• Totally, 501 procedures had been canceled due to non-medical reasons on the day of surgery during the period from September 2025 through May 2026.
• The inspectors also pointed out a lack of life support and dementia training.
• Patients and relatives, however, expressed positive opinions about the care and support provided by the staff.
• Only one service received an “outstanding” rating from the group of recent reports. It was Middleton Health Centre in Rochdale.
• Other services in Manchester, Salford and Tameside have been rated “good.”

Manchester (Manchester Mirror) October 05, 2026 – Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust is facing fresh criticism after a Care Quality Commission inspection of surgical services at Salford Royal Hospital found 12 breaches of legal regulations, including concerns about safe care and treatment, governance and staffing.

The inspection found that improvements had been made since the CQC issued a Section 29A warning notice in October 2025. Those improvements were sufficient for inspectors to conclude that the trust was complying with the warning notice. However, the surgical service continued to be rated “requires improvement”.

The latest report forms part of a wider collection of healthcare inspection findings published across Greater Manchester. The reports included positive ratings for several GP, care and substance-misuse services, including one “outstanding” rating for Middleton Health Centre in Rochdale.

The Northern Care Alliance runs Salford Royal Hospital, Oldham Royal Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary and Fairfield Hospital in Bury. It has faced continued pressure from staff shortages, industrial action and concerns surrounding delays in treatment and patient safety.

As reported by Hannah Richardson of the Manchester Evening News, the trust’s latest difficulties follow the publication of board papers which revealed that dozens of patients had died or “came to harm” amid treatment delays and serious errors made by staff working under extreme pressure. The CQC inspection specifically examined surgical services at Salford Royal and followed the warning notice issued the previous year.

Why is Salford Royal still rated “requires improvement”?

The CQC found evidence that the Northern Care Alliance had made progress in several areas. These included staffing arrangements on wards, safeguarding, patient safety processes, surgical safety compliance and the management of patients whose condition was deteriorating.

However, inspectors concluded that significant problems remained. Surgical services continued to experience staff shortages and low employee confidence. Cancelled care was also identified as an ongoing concern, with patients sometimes unable to receive planned treatment on the scheduled day.

The report stated that 501 operations were cancelled for non-clinical reasons on the day of surgery between September 2025 and May 2026. The most common reasons included operating lists running over time because of the complexity of procedures and a lack of available ward beds.

There were 115 cancellations linked to list overruns caused by complex procedures. A further 105 cancellations were attributed to unavailable ward beds.

Inspectors also found that pre-operative assessments were sometimes unavailable or incomplete. This created further delays and contributed to cancellations. The reduction in the number of staff carrying out pre-operative assessments was identified as an additional pressure on the service.

Between September 2025 and May 2026, 79 incidents linked to staff shortages were reported. Most involved the cancellation of non-emergency procedures.

What concerns were raised about staff?

The report identified low employee confidence within the surgical service. Some staff told inspectors that they had concerns about bullying and harassment. Others described the support received from line managers in negative terms.

Some employees said they remained reluctant to raise concerns because they feared those concerns would be dismissed or lead to punitive action from senior leaders. These findings raised questions about the culture within parts of the service and the extent to which staff felt able to report problems safely.

The inspection also identified gaps in staff training. There were concerns about compliance with life-support training, while only 12.8 per cent of staff had completed dementia training.

The report did, however, record a reduction in violent or aggressive incidents involving patients and staff. Inspectors linked this improvement to the introduction of a new collaborative approach.

Concerns remained over patient length of stay, readmissions following surgery and discharge processes. The inspection found no significant improvement in these areas.

What did the trust say about the report?

Karen Coverley, deputy chief nursing officer at the Northern Care Alliance, said the trust was pleased that the CQC had identified improvements and rated the service “good” for caring.

In a statement quoted by the Manchester Evening News, Coverley said the CQC had found that the trust had sufficiently met the requirements of the warning notice issued the previous year.

She said progress had been made in staffing arrangements, safeguarding, patient safety processes, surgical safety compliance and the management of deteriorating patients. She added that the safety and quality of patient care remained the trust’s “absolute priority”.

Coverley also acknowledged that some of the required changes were significant and would take time to become fully embedded across the organisation.

The inspection took place less than two months after the introduction of the Northern Care Alliance’s new clinically led operating model. The trust said its regulatory actions and improvement requirements were part of one integrated improvement plan.

According to the statement, that plan was subject to regular oversight and scrutiny so that progress could be tracked, concerns could be addressed and improvements could be sustained.

The trust said it would continue working with the CQC, NHS England and local system partners to improve services and ensure patients received safe, high-quality care.manchestereveningnews.co

Which other Greater Manchester services were inspected?

The latest collection of CQC reports included services in Manchester, Rochdale, Salford and Tameside.

What was found in Manchester?

Apollo Care Central Manchester, a homecare support service in Ardwick, received a “good” rating.

Inspectors said the service treated people with kindness and compassion. Staff worked closely with families to ensure care reflected the needs and wishes of each person.

Service users and relatives told inspectors they felt listened to and supported safely. They said staff understood how to protect people from harm.

The CQC also praised the service’s detailed and person-centred assessments. These were updated when people’s needs changed, allowing staff to adapt the support provided.

People received consistent and well-coordinated care from staff who knew them well. Relatives also praised the reliability of staff, predictable routines and strong relationships developed over time.

Newbury Green Medical Practice in Rigby Street also received a “good” rating. Inspectors found that the GP practice offered safe care in a visibly clean environment.

The practice supported patients through community-based initiatives designed to improve their health. Around 200 referrals had been made through those initiatives, with positive outcomes reported. One example involved support for a homeless person who later secured stable accommodation.

Around 92 per cent of patients who responded to a national survey said staff were good at treating them with care and concern. Two patients told inspectors that the service consistently treated people with kindness, compassion and dignity.

Some issues were identified, including gaps in training and recruitment documents for certain staff. These included basic life-support training records and incomplete identity checks.

Which Rochdale practice received an outstanding rating?

Middleton Health Centre on Limetrees Road received the only “outstanding” rating in the latest group of inspection reports.

Inspectors praised the practice’s proactive and positive safety culture. They said the service took steps to support people who might otherwise struggle to engage with healthcare services.

The practice carried out home visits to understand the barriers faced by patients and to build trusting relationships. Inspectors also said staff had developed innovative ways of providing more joined-up care and support.

The health centre offered groups designed around specific needs. These included a weight-management group and support for people affected by alcohol and substance misuse.

The CQC said staff made every effort to ensure that patients’ needs, views, wishes and comfort remained a priority.

What was found in Tameside?

My Recovery Tameside in Ashton-under-Lyne was rated “good” for its community-based substance-misuse services.

Inspectors said the service created an environment where people could speak openly about their challenges and progress. People described staff as knowledgeable and said they had gone above and beyond to provide support.

Staff helped service users deal with other organisations, including housing and social-care agencies. When people unexpectedly disengaged from the service, policies were in place to ensure staff made efforts to bring them back into contact with the service.

The report stated that staff had been recruited safely and that most training was up to date. Inspectors found no hygiene or health-and-safety problems at the premises.

What does the inspection mean for patients?

The CQC findings present a mixed picture for patients using services connected with the Northern Care Alliance and other Greater Manchester providers.

For patients undergoing surgery at Salford Royal, the most immediate concern is the continued risk of delay or cancellation. The reported number of non-clinical cancellations indicates that operational pressures, including staffing shortages, complex operating lists and limited ward capacity, continued to affect planned care.

Incomplete pre-operative assessments may also create uncertainty for patients awaiting surgery. Where assessments are delayed or unavailable, procedures may need to be postponed even when patients have already made arrangements around treatment.

At the same time, the inspection recognised improvements in safety processes and found that the trust was complying with the earlier warning notice. Patients and relatives also spoke positively about staff, saying they felt comfortable asking for help and that staff responded promptly.

The findings therefore do not indicate that every aspect of care was poor. Instead, they show a service where staff were often viewed positively by patients but were working within systems affected by shortages, low confidence and operational disruption.

The other inspection reports provide more positive evidence across Greater Manchester. Several services were rated “good”, while Middleton Health Centre was judged “outstanding” for its approach to safety, engagement and joined-up support.

Background: Why was the Northern Care Alliance inspected?

The latest CQC inspection followed a Section 29A warning notice issued to the Northern Care Alliance in October 2025.

A warning notice is used by the healthcare regulator when it identifies serious concerns requiring action. The latest inspection examined whether the trust had responded adequately to the problems previously identified.

The inspection took place against a difficult operational background. The Northern Care Alliance has been affected by industrial action, staffing pressures and concerns about delays and errors in treatment.

The trust’s surgical services at Salford Royal were examined in detail. Inspectors looked at safe care and treatment, governance, staffing, patient safety, surgical procedures, patient flow, training and the experience of patients and staff.

The latest findings show that the trust has addressed enough of the warning notice requirements to be considered compliant with that notice. However, the continued “requires improvement” rating indicates that compliance with the warning notice does not mean all wider service problems have been resolved.

The trust has introduced a new clinically led operating model and said its improvement work is being managed through an integrated plan. That plan is expected to remain subject to oversight by the CQC, NHS England and local healthcare partners.

Prediction: How could this affect Greater Manchester patients?

For patients in Greater Manchester, the main likely effect is continued scrutiny of surgical services at Salford Royal and pressure on the Northern Care Alliance to reduce cancellations, improve staffing stability and strengthen staff training.

In the short term, patients may continue to face delays where operating lists overrun, ward beds are unavailable or pre-operative assessments are incomplete. The inspection findings also suggest that improvements may take time to become fully embedded.

If the trust succeeds in implementing its improvement plan, patients could see more reliable scheduling, stronger safety processes and clearer discharge arrangements. Better staffing levels and improved staff confidence could also help reduce pressure on frontline teams.

However, the latest report does not provide evidence that all problems have been resolved. The ongoing “requires improvement” rating means patients, staff and regulators are likely to continue monitoring surgical performance closely.

For people using other Greater Manchester services, the wider inspection results are more encouraging. The “good” ratings for Apollo Care Central Manchester, Newbury Green Medical Practice and My Recovery Tameside, alongside the “outstanding” rating for Middleton Health Centre, indicate that several local services were meeting strong standards of care and support.