WORCESTER'S MP has challenged health chiefs to escape their 'failing' status - with a crucial inspection just weeks away.

Robin Walker says bosses at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust need to take momentum from their counterparts in mental health by getting a better grading from inspectors - calling it his "number one concern" right now.

The trust, which manages Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Kidderminster Hospital and the Alex, was placed under special measures last December due to a catalogue of problems.

A reinspection is now expected in October or November.

Mr Walker, who is still pushing for a bigger A&E at the royal, said it needs to take inspiration from Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, which was rated as 'good' this week by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

He said: "It's great news about the health and care trust and hopefully now the acute can do the same, that's my number one concern at the moment - making sure our hospital turns it around."

It comes as the patient watchdog Healthwatch says it will carry on "asking difficult questions" of the trust ahead of the autumn inspection.

This week it emerged how the trust had failed to assess and write up scan results for 11,000 patients at the three hospitals' radiology departments, a backlog dating back to at least January.

Trust bosses say they will clear the backlog by October and that all urgent x-rays, including referrals from GPs, are being dealt with as priorities.

Peter Pinfield, Healthwatch chairman, told the Worcester News: "They are being reinspected in October or November and they know what they've got to do to get out of special measures.

"It does seem they take one step forward and two steps back, we've seen that with the x-rays.

"They still haven't got a new chair or a permanent chief executive, the front line staff at the hospital do their best but we know there are issues with staffing.

"We've got to stay diligent, keep monitoring it and ask difficult questions."

A trust spokesman said today: "It is a given that we want to improve our current CQC rating, since the inspection last year and the subsequent report we've been working hard to ensure services improve and meet the required standards.

"We recognise there was and is a lot of work to be done before we're revisited later this year.

"The public have the right to expect excellent health services and delivering this is our goal."