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King’s exits Recovery Support Programme

12 May 2026 - King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has exited the Recovery Support Programme, formerly known as ‘special measures’, following a review by NHS England.

NHS England has confirmed that King’s is no longer in NHS Oversight Framework Segment 4 and has been removed from the Recovery Support Programme.

The move follows a period of sustained improvement by King’s in vital areas such as financial planning and governance, strategy, operational performance, and leadership and culture.

King’s was placed into Segment 4 of the NHS Oversight Framework in April 2024, but the improvements seen over recent years means the Trust has now moved to Segment 3, which is a positive step forward.

NHS England confirmed the news last month, praising the Trust for ‘improving the quality of care for the people of London in a sustainable way’.

King’s will continue to receive support from NHS England, however, and the Trust is working with regional colleagues on a transition plan to ensure improvements are sustained.

Professor Clive Kay, Trust Chief Executive, said:

“This is positive news for King’s patients, and the communities we serve, who care deeply about the organisation, and the services our teams provide.

“The improvements we have seen are the result of a committed effort by our superb staff, and the work they have done over recent years to improve our services.

“However, we mustn’t be complacent, and we are clear that we are on an improvement journey, and we will continue to work with our partners to help make King’s the very best organisation it can be.”

Andrew Bland, Chief Executive Officer of the South East London Integrated Care System, added:

“King’s has made progress over recent years, and worked collaboratively with its partners in South East London.

“Exiting the Recovery Support Programme is an important step forward in the Trust’s improvement journey, and we will continue to work with the team at King’s for the benefit of patients, and local communities who use the Trust’s services.”