I am in constant contact with the Health Secretary about my serious concerns about Blackpool Victoria Hospital
A Blackpool MP says he is in “constant contact” with the Health Secretary Wes Streeting about his “deep concerns” relating to a series of serious incidents at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.
Public confidence and trust in Blackpool Victoria Hospital is at an all time low after a catalogue of devastating and disturbing cases have come to light over the last year.
The Trust has faced public scrutiny following multiple serious incidents including: a patient sexually assaulted and murdered in her hospital bed; nurses convicted of drugging stroke patients for an easy shift; the trust’s top heart surgeon and lead of the Lancashire Cardiac Centre jailed for sexual assault; an investigation into failures into maternity services and the neglect of a patient leading to him taking his own life in a hospital toilet.
These patient deaths, staff misconduct and inquests highlight systemic issues, prompting corporate manslaughter, police and national investigations.
Families and staff have raised concerns about long-term management and workplace culture, which officials acknowledge have affected patient safety and prompted improvements in hospital procedures.
The Trust is cooperating with national and local investigations, aiming to improve care and rebuild public confidence in hospital services.
Blackpool South MP Chris Webb said: “I have discussed these cases at length with the new chief executive and have been in constant contact with the Health Secretary about serious concerns stemming from 14 years of cuts and previous mismanagement.”
Webb, who has personal experience with the hospital after his son’s birth, added that staff “deserve the best working conditions and a supportive, healthy workplace culture” and pledged to push for resources to rebuild trust and ensure safe, high-quality care.
Maggie Oldham, Chief Executive of Blackpool Victoria Hospital said the trust ‘strives to get things right, first time, for all those who use our services’ and ‘some of our issues relate to an increase in demand both for emergency services and in catching up with the number of patients on our waiting lists.’
Some of the cases Blackpool Victoria Hospital are facing scrutiny over include:
Heart surgeon jailed for sexual offences
Senior heart surgeon Amal Krishna Bose, 55, was jailed for six years after being found guilty of sexually assaulting five junior colleagues between 2017 and 2022.
Bose, who denied the allegations, was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault at Preston Crown Court in June 2025.
Prosecutors said he abused his senior position, creating a “toxic environment” and dismissing his behaviour as “workplace banter”.
Victim impact statements detailed panic attacks, anxiety and career disruption caused by his actions.
Maggie Oldham, Chief Executive at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, said: “Our thoughts remain with all those affected by the actions of Mr Bose, and we thank our staff for the bravery and courage they have shown throughout the police investigation and trial of Mr Bose.
“As a Trust, we have cooperated with the police throughout their investigation into Mr Bose who has not worked at the Trust since December 2022.
“We have been truly shocked and saddened by the experiences of the victims, and we will now be supporting all colleagues as we move forward together.”
Patient unlawfully killed after hospital sexual assault
A coroner ruled that 75-year-old Valerie Kneale, who died at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in November 2018, was unlawfully killed following a violent sexual assault.
Mrs Kneale, admitted after a stroke, deteriorated rapidly but post-mortem results found she died from injuries caused by a forcible assault.
Evidence of significant blood loss and unusual smells in her room was not escalated, leading to loss of critical evidence.
HM Coroner Alan Wilson said the attack on a vulnerable elderly woman in hospital was “particularly horrific”.
Despite a six-year police investigation and national appeals, no suspect has been found. Lancashire Constabulary said the case remains an “undetected homicide”.
Maggie Oldham, chief executive at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "I wish to assure Mrs Kneale's family, patients, and staff that the Trust has already implemented improvements since the tragic death of Mrs Kneale in 2018.
"The Trust is committed to learning and will now carefully consider all of the evidence heard at the inquest and the coroner's findings, and make any further improvements, as necessary."
Hospital failings contributed to suicide
An inquest has found that 27-year-old Jamie Pearson, who died after being left unsupervised in hospital, was “contributed to by neglect”.
Mr Pearson, admitted after an overdose in August 2024, waited 22 hours for mental health input and was later found unconscious in a toilet after using clothing as a ligature.
He died four days later.
Mr Pearson’s mother described the hospital’s treatment of her son as “complete disregard” during a mental health crisis.
Chief Executive Maggie Oldham said: “I am truly sorry that we did not do more to keep Mr Pearson safe.”
She added: “We have already taken steps to improve assessment, referrals, documentation and treatment of patients needing mental health support in the emergency department but we know that we have more work to do and thank the coroner for his findings.”
Nurse and colleague jailed for sedating patients
Catherine Hudson, 54, was found guilty of giving unprescribed sedatives to two patients at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in 2017 and 2018.
She was also convicted of conspiring with Charlotte Wilmot, 48, to give a sedative to a third patient.
Hudson was jailed for seven years and two months, while Wilmot was sentenced to three years.
Evidence during the trial highlighted a “dysfunctional” drugs regime on the stroke ward, with free and easy access to controlled drugs, which led to “wholesale theft” by staff.
Prosecutors described it as a “culture of abuse” after examining WhatsApp messages between the co-defendants and other staff.
Hudson wrote about one of her victims: “I sedated one of them to within an inch of her life lol. Bet she's flat for a week haha xxx.”
Trust under national maternity investigation
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is among 14 across the country being investigated in a national review into “failures” in maternity and neonatal care.
The inquiry will place bereaved families “at the heart” of its work and examine systemic problems spanning more than 15 years.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said preventable tragedies were “one too many” and promised families’ voices would be central.
Maggie Oldham, Chief Executive at the Trust, said: “We welcome the national focus on learning and improvement in maternity services. The safety of mothers and babies is vitally important.
“Our teams have worked tirelessly to strengthen care, recruit, and support staff, and implement the recommendations of the Ockenden review and Better Births programme.
“A CQC inspection in March 2025 found the safety of our maternity services had improved and the responsiveness of services was Good.
“We know there is more work to do and look forward to working with the national team, learning from others, and sharing how we’ve made progress.
“We are determined to continue improving our maternity services and ensuring local families have confidence in the care we provide.”
Police probe corporate failings on stroke unit
Lancashire Police are investigating potential corporate offences at the hospital’s stroke unit, including corporate manslaughter, wilful neglect and Health and Safety breaches.
The inquiry, named Operation Bermuda, was launched in 2023 following prosecutions of staff for illegally sedating patients.
Police are also reviewing the deaths of eight patients in 2018 amid allegations of neglect. Inquests have yet to take place.
The Trust said it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Trust responds to incidents
Chief Executive Maggie Oldham issued the following statement after being asked about the catalogue of serious incidents at Blackpool Victoria Hospital:
“We strive to get things right, first time, for all those who use our services, and when we get things wrong and let people down we examine where we went wrong so we can learn and improve.
“I know how hard my colleagues are working to support their patients and our wider community, I thank them for their dedication.
“Many of the challenges we face are not new problems, some relate to criminal proceedings dating back a considerable time and we are respectful of supporting the police through what can be lengthy investigations.
“Some of our issues relate to an increase in demand both for emergency services and in catching up with the number of patients on our waiting lists.
“We are all committed to improving the services we provide, nearly 80% of our staff live locally and not only do we contribute to the care provided we also use the services ourselves.
“We are grateful for the support our community gives us and for the help NHS England is providing so that we can tackle our problems, support our staff and improve services for the people of Blackpool and the Fylde Coast.”
MP Chris Webb responds
Blackpool South MP Chris Webb said he shared the concerns of local residents.
“I have discussed these cases at length with the new chief executive and have been in constant contact with the Health Secretary about serious concerns stemming from 14 years of cuts and previous mismanagement,” he said.
Webb, who has personal experience with the hospital after his son’s birth, added that staff “deserve the best working conditions and a supportive, healthy workplace culture” and pledged to push for resources to rebuild trust and ensure safe, high-quality care.
Full statement from Chris Webb:
He said: “Like all residents, I share the deep concerns about the serious cases that have come to light at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.
“I have discussed them all openly and at length with the new chief executive, who I meet with regularly, and I have been in contact with the Health Secretary about the serious concerns that have come off the back of 14 years of cuts and previous mismanagement.
“I have first-hand experience with the Vic, where my son was born just over a year ago and my wife was cared for.
“Despite huge challenges, our NHS staff are hardworking, dedicated and compassionate. They deserve the best working conditions and a supportive, healthy workplace culture.
“I’ll keep pushing for the resources needed for staff to have the best possible working conditions, patients to have the safe, high-quality healthcare they deserve and so trust can be rebuilt in our local hospital.”