[3] The trust was given four enforcement notices in 2018 by the Care Quality Commission because of continued concerns regarding patient safety at the "inadequate" A&E department at Russells Hall Hospital.

[5] In January 2014 allegations by John Marchant, the former head of security, were reported that staff had routinely forced vulnerable patients to stay in their rooms – or even confined them to their beds – despite them posing no danger to anyone.

[6] In March 2014 it was reported that David Ore, who managed security staff across the three hospitals, after repeatedly raising concerns had been suspended in November 2012 and sacked five months later after a disciplinary hearing.

He won an appeal but was again ordered out on ‘special leave’ in January – two days after an article about Russells Hall Hospital restraining patients appeared in the media and was given notice of redundancy.

In November 2014 the trust had asked the company to launch new menus and invest £500,000 in heated trolleys because patients had complained about the temperature of their food.