Milestone as SaTH exits special measures after sustained improvement
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) has officially exited special measures today, 5 March 2026, marking a significant turning point for local healthcare.
The Trust, which operates the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, has been under the highest level of national oversight since November 2018. The decision to remove the Trust from the Recovery Support Programme (RSP) follows a review by NHS England, which noted “substantial and sustained” improvements across finance, governance, and clinical performance.
Key improvements
Over the last 18 months, the Trust has climbed the national league tables, moving to 96th out of 134 trusts. Data shows significant progress in several critical areas:
- Elective Recovery: Named the most improved Trust nationally for 18-week referral to treatment times.
- Cancer Care: Ranked second nationally for the 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard.
- Diagnostics: Recorded the strongest performance levels seen in five years.
- Maternity Services: Sustainable progress has been made, with the Trust on track to exit the Maternity Safety Support Programme.
- Financial Stability: Achievement of a 50% deficit reduction since 2023/24 and the delivery of a £41m cost improvement programme.
“Not the end of the journey”
Despite the positive news, leadership acknowledged that challenges remain, particularly within urgent and emergency care.
Jo Williams, Group Chief Executive, said: “This is a significant milestone on our improvement journey, and I am incredibly proud of our staff for their hard work and dedication. They have and continue to put our patients at the heart of our work to transform care and improve health outcomes. This is not the end of our improvement journey. We know that we have much more still to do, particularly in urgent and emergency care, but we are making tangible progress.”
Andrew Morgan, Group Chair, added:
“This is a pivotal moment for the Trust which has made great strides in the last 18 months to demonstrate consistent progress and stability, and I hope it gives our communities greater confidence that we are improving.”
The news has been welcomed by patient advocates and political leaders. Jan Suckling, Chief Officer of Healthwatch Telford and Wrekin, noted that the milestone reflects “sustained efforts of staff and leadership,” particularly in areas that matter most to patients like waiting times and diagnostics.
Telford MP Shaun Davies described the announcement as “fantastic news” for the town but stressed that the work is not yet finished.
“For the first time since 2018, the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust has been taken out of special measures as well as having been recognised as the most improved trust in the country,” he said.
“While we still have mountains to climb to deliver the NHS services Telford deserves, today is a moment to recognise the dedication and hard work of our NHS staff. I will never stop fighting to strengthen our local NHS services.”
The Trust is now looking toward the future, with plans to deliver the Hospitals Transformation Programme by 2028.
