Inside Britain’s WORST hospitals – why they rank lowest in the new NHS league tables
The Government today named and shamed all of England’s worst-performing hospitals in a damning analysis.
Under Labour’s promise to reform the ‘broken’ NHS, it is the first time the Government has ranked hospitals, ambulance services and mental health providers publicly.
Wes Streeting told the Daily Mail that every patient ‘deserves top of the table care’ and the league table would pinpoint where urgent help is required.
The rankings score NHS trusts on seven different areas including waiting times for operations, cancer treatment, time spent in A&E and ambulance response times.
Their finances are also assessed, meaning a hospital rated highly for clinical care will be marked down if they are running up a larger than expected deficit.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, Norfolk, was brandished the worst trust overall by the analysis, with the Countess of Chester NHS Trust—where the serial baby killer Lucy Letby worked—in penultimate place.
The tables also laid bare the ‘postcode lottery’ of care, with patients facing both a North-South and rural-urban divide.
More than half of the worst 20 general hospitals are in the North, while London dominates the top half of the table.
Worst small hospital: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn Foundation Trust
Rank: 134th out of 134
The Queen Elizabeth King’s Lynn Hospital in Norfolk has one of the worst records for A&E and cancer treatment waits.
Under NHS guidelines, 95 per cent of patients should be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours. Thousands of patients nationally, however, have to endure 12-hour waits.
At Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn Foundation Trust, just 52.1 per cent were seen within four hours in July, the latest data available.
Only 53.4 per cent of newly-diagnosed cancer patients referred for urgent treatment were also seen within two months—the target is 85 per cent.
Meanwhile, only 86.9 per cent of patients started treatment within 31 days of being booked in June, below the goal of 96 per cent.
The health service target of telling at least 75 per cent of patients with suspected cancer they do or don’t have the disease equally wasn’t met at 70 per cent.
After its latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection last year, the regulator rated it as ‘requires improvement’, citing issues with surgery, end of life care and outpatient care.
The trust has also been repeatedly hit by building issues, and still currently requires more than 1,500 props to hold up its ceiling.
It is riddled with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) and is one of seven hospitals prioritised for a rebuild by the national New Hospital Programme.
Builders used RAAC extensively in roofing between the 1950s and 1990s, when dozens of hospitals were built or upgraded.
The material is structurally weaker than traditional concrete and has been likened to a ‘chocolate Aero bar’. Being prone to moisture absorption and collapse has led to fears ceilings could collapse.
Schools with RAAC present have already been forced to shut buildings over fears that ceilings could collapse.
Queen Elizabeth King’s Lynn Hospital interim executive managing director Chris Brown said he was sorry it had ‘fallen short’, and added ‘immediate steps are being taken to address the issues’.
Worst Medium Hospital: North Cumbria Integrated Care Foundation Trust
Rank: 130th out of 134
Latest CQC documents, meanwhile, also shows North Cumbria Integrated Care Foundation Trust failed to meet standards in emergency and medical care.
Issues were found with staff shortages and infection control, a watchdog has said.
The CQC also found pain relief was not always given in a timely manner when patients needed it.
Inspectors said: ‘Some staff told us they did not feel they could raise concerns without fear of blame or reprisal.’
In 2023, unannounced inspections also found several areas of concern at maternity services in hospitals run by the North Cumbria Integrated Care Trust.
‘Staffing levels at each hospital didn’t always match the planned numbers needed to keep people and babies safe,’ said Carolyn Jenkinson, the CQC’s deputy director of secondary and specialist healthcare.
Latest CQC documents, meanwhile, also shows North Cumbria Integrated Care Foundation Trust failed to meet standards in emergency and medical care. Pictured, The Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle
Inspectors also found that ‘not all staff had training in key skills’, which included ‘life support and safeguarding training’ across the trust’s maternity services.
Earlier this year, documents also revealed that the trust was in a ‘deteriorating’ financial position, spending millions more than its planned budget—impacting its position on the league table.
As of December 2024, North Cumbria Integrated Care Trust, which runs the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, was underperforming financially with a deficit of £34.71million.
Worst Teaching Hospital: University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Trust
Rank: 132nd out of 134
Earlier this year it was revealed more than 20 patients were suing University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, claiming their quality of life was wrecked when they were needlessly given a highly toxic cancer drug.
Patients were allegedly prescribed temozolomide—which should normally be used for only six months —for more than a decade during treatment by the trust.
An investigation by lawyers Brabners found that, over the past two decades, numerous patients with brain and spinal tumours were routinely exposed to prolonged and in some cases ‘unnecessary’ use of the drug.
They said multiple people had contacted them after hearing the story of their client, who was treated with temozolomide for 14 years.
The cancer patient, who was originally treated for a brain tumour, said he had suffered fatigue, joint pain, gastrointestinal distress, recurrent mouth ulcers and nausea because of the ongoing treatment.
He only found out that he was taking the unnecessary medication when his consultant, Professor Ian Brown, retired from being a practising doctor.
Others claimed the drug’s prolonged use left them infertile or suffering abnormal blood test results.
The trust said it was carrying out an internal review into the incident but stressed it was committed to providing the ‘best care’ for its patients.
Latest NHS statistics also show just 60.4 per cent of patients were seen within four hours at A&E.
Only 64.2 per cent of newly-diagnosed cancer patients referred for urgent treatment were also seen within two months—below the target of 85 per cent.
Earlier this year it was revealed more than 20 patients were suing University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, claiming their quality of life was wrecked when they were needlessly given a highly toxic cancer drug
Worst Large Hospital: Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust
Rank: 123rd out of 134
Other trusts previously hit by scandals were also low in the rankings.
Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust is one of ten trusts currently subject to a ‘rapid national investigation’ into its maternity and neonatal units.
Announced earlier this year, the inquiry will ensure the ten trusts are ‘held to account for improvement’ given the risk is ‘considerably higher’ than it should be for women and babies.
Its latest CQC report, published in January, rated maternity services run by Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust as ‘requires improvement’.
Inspectors also found there wasn’t always enough fetal monitoring equipment to keep women, people using maternity services, and their babies safe.
And some equipment was overdue testing to ensure it was ready if needed.
At the time, Hazel Roberts, CQC deputy director of operations in the East of England, said: ‘When we inspected maternity services at Basildon University Hospital and Southend University Hospital, we were concerned to find gaps in staffing levels, which could impact the safety of women, people using the services, and their babies.
‘This meant people’s needs couldn’t always be identified and met as quickly as possible, putting them at risk. Leaders were aware of these issues and had plans in place to address them.
‘When things had gone wrong, leaders had investigated and taken action to improve people’s care. However, we found some of these investigations took a long time, delaying improvements.’
Latest NHS figures for Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust also shows it is failing to meet guidelines.
Under the NHS’s own rulebook, anyone referred for treatment by their GP should also be seen within 18 weeks.
But just 49.58 per cent of patients under the trust were seen within this timeframe in June 2025, the latest data available.
Worst Community Hospital: Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Rank: 61st out of 61
Latest CQC documents show Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is ranked ‘required improvement’.
‘Staffing levels of health visitors remained low and staff in these teams were carrying high caseloads,’ the report concluded.
‘Morale remained low in these teams and staff did not feel that leaders effectively engaged with them.’
‘Systems and processes were also not always reliable or appropriate to always keep people safe.’
In June, board papers also revealed it was failing to meet required digital security standards leaving it at risk of a severe syber attack.
Chichi Abraham-Igwe, non-executive director, concurred that possible lack of skills, knowledge, infrastructure and cyber protection was ‘a significant area of risk for the trust’.
