THE crisis-hit NHS trust which runs Worcestershire Royal Hospital is set to remain in 'special measures' due to ongoing concerns over care, it has been revealed.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust was placed in special measures in December 2015 after watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) raised serious concerns over quality and patient care.

The trust, which had to draw up a plan for improving patient care, was re-inspected in November.

Official results will not be published until the spring but bosses admit that not enough has been done to tackle the problems and say the trust is likely to remain in special measures.

We have reported how Worcestershire Royal, in Worcester, has been battling to cope with pressures caused by high numbers of patients, particularly in A&E.

More than 109 emergency patients waited more than 12 hours on trolleys at both Worcestershire Royal Hospital and the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch between December 20 and January 4, while an investigation is underway after two patients died on trolleys at the Royal.

Sarah Smith, the acute trust's director of planning and development, said in a report to the board: "Whilst the final (inspection) report will not be available until early spring, it is clear that the patient care improvements required since the trust was placed in special measures have not been delivered at sufficient scale and pace.

"The patient care improvement plan, developed during 2015/16, has failed to date to deliver the full range of improvements required.

"Delivery is inconsistent and has been disrupted by frequent changes in key personnel at the trust over the past 12 months and lack of accountability and, more fundamentally, by the lack of a culture of improvement at the trust as staff constantly deal with increasing day to day pressures and performance challenges."

An emergency nurse practitioner from Australia, Michelle McKay, is set to become the trust's new chief executive on March 27.

The trust's chairman, Caragh Merrick, said: "It's unfortunate we have got to this stage but we are where we are.

"The woman (Mrs McKay) does not walk on water. We need also as a board and a leadership team to stabilise things to make sure she has a foundation which she can kick on.

"It is important that we move the trust out of special measures."