HEALTH watchdog Sir Bill Taylor has called for ‘better public leadership’ of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.

The chairman of Blackburn with Darwen Healthwatch said he was working in a ‘critical but supportive’ manner with the trust, which has been heavily criticised after inspections from the Care Quality Commission and NHS chief Sir Bruce Keogh.

Sir Bill said: “We have participated in the visiting Keogh process, engaged with the CQC, our clinical commissioning groups, our colleagues in Healthwatch Lancashire and reported back in public.

“We've also held what I’m sure will be one of many meetings with the senior management of the hospital trust, where sadly no non-executive board members were in attendance. There needs to be better public leadership of the trust.”