Residents reacted with dismay but little surprise to the news that the Wye Valley Trust has been placed into special measures after being rated 'inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission. The move followed an inspection carried out by the CQC in June this year.

The report released by the CQC said that Hereford County Hospital's A&E department and medical care services are unsatisfactory and not always safe.

The watchdog said there were regular cancellations of surgical operations, long waits for patients, a bed occupancy of 95% and a poor culture of incident reporting.

At a press conference organised by the Wye Valley NHS Trust on the morning of Tuesday, October 14th the report by the CQC was discussed.

The report says the Trust must do more to improve patient flow, reduce A&E waiting times and create a culture where staff members felt able to report incidents.

The report however, also acknowledged the 'kindness, compassion and respect' the hospital staff showed towards patients. Full story in this week's Gazette.