COULD I have done more to spot the problems in the East Lancashire Health Trust? That’s the question I’ve been asking myself since the Trust, which runs the Blackburn and Burnley hospitals, was last week put into ‘special measures’ after critical findings against it by the Keogh Review.

As MP I’m not directly responsible for the health services in the way in which I was responsible for the police, prisons and much else as a Minister, but my constituency work provides a good barometer on institutions in the area. Why didn’t this set my alarm bells ringing?

One of Keogh’s principal criticisms concerned the handling by the Trust of patient complaints – which showed up a ‘lack of compassion’. I had received more patient complaints than I felt ‘normal’. Just before Christmas I therefore had a meeting with the Trust to seek improvements. I was given reassurances and things did appear to get better after that.

The mortality statistics were a key indicator which triggered the Keogh inquiry. Due to its industrial heritage, not its hospitals, life expectancy and levels of illness have long been less good in East Lancashire than the average. But, a very big ‘but’, mortality has also been improving year-by-year in our area, roughly tracking the national trend, but from a higher level. So I was off the scent there.

Then there was the criticism by Keogh of ‘poor governance’ and ‘inadequate staffing levels’ within the Trust. Obvious with the benefit of hindsight – as reports in this paper earlier this week have highlighted – but very difficult to pin down from the outside, in the absence of objective evidence from those tasked with monitoring the service; up to now the Care Quality Commission.

The Chinese word for ‘crisis’, I’m told, composes of two characters – ‘danger’ and ‘opportunity’. The staff I met at RBH when I visited on Tuesday were remarkably positive about the fresh start Keogh gives them.

Whilst with greater foresight we may have avoided ‘special measures’, there is, I believe, an important opportunity presented by this particular crisis: better services for patients.