Nearly half of NHS hospitals in England aren't meeting basic standards set by healthcare watchdogs, a shocking analysis has revealed.
A total of 49 per cent ranked as either 'Inadequate' or 'Requires Improvement' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the data shows.
These rankings mean a service is 'performing badly' or 'not performing as well as it should' respectively.
According to an analysis by medical negligence specialists Patient Claim Line hospitals in Uxbridge, Hull, York and Blackpool were among the six worst.
In contrast, 22 hospitals achieved the CQC's rating of 'Outstanding' — about seven per cent of the total NHS hospitals in England.
The remainder, some 44 per cent, were ranked as 'Good' meaning they were meeting expectations.
CQC inspectors found 'Inadequate' hospitals has issues with hygiene, care delays, staff not cooperating and a lack of leadership, among other things.
At The Hillingdon Hospital, Uxbridge, one of the worst, inspectors wrote: 'There was deterioration in infection prevention and control'.
They 'found inconsistencies in hand hygiene practice amongst staff' and also noted there was a 'poor recognition of sepsis' — a reaction to infection than can quickly kill — at the hospital.
At Hull Royal Infirmary's maternity ward, inspectors found problems with the care of mothers and babies.
'Systems, processes, and risk in the antenatal day unit/triage department were not well managed which led to long delays in women being seen and a chaotic environment which was not fit for purpose,' they wrote.
Inspectors added that: 'Staff did not always work well together across the different units and some staff spoke about unkindness between staff.'
At Blackpool Victoria Hospital's urgent and emergency services unit, inspectors said that 'at times the department felt chaotic and we had concerns about the lack of oversight the leadership team had of the risks'.
Patient Claim Line trainee solicitor Nermeen Salahuddin said their findings were 'deeply concerning'.
'These ratings highlight serious issues in patient safety, care quality, and hospital management,' she said.
'As solicitors that represent individuals affected by medical negligence, we see firsthand the devastating impact that substandard care can have on patients and their families.
It is imperative that immediate steps are taken to address these deficiencies and ensure that all patients receive the safe, high-quality care they deserve.'
The report come after Health Secretary Wes Streeting issued an extraordinary warning to Brits earlier this year about the CQC's rating of hospitals.
He said a bombshell review showed the CQC was 'rotting' and described some of its ratings as 'invented'.
Mr Streeting added it had been a decade since some hospitals, GP surgeries and care homes had been checked.
He also said there was evidence that some of the ratings had been 'effectively manufactured and invented using partial views and inspections combined with historic ratings and judgments'.
He even urged members of the public checking ratings on the CQC website to 'take them with a pinch of salt'.
The report also comes just days after the £160billion-a-year NHS was described as 'broken' by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
He warned it must 'reform or die', vowing to undertake the 'biggest reimagining' of the dishevelled system since its birth in the 1940s.
His comments followed a damning report by Lord Darzi, a pioneering surgeon and former Labour health minister, which concluded the NHS is in a 'critical condition'.
