A damning report into one a Birmingham hospital, one of Britain’s leading children’s hospitals, has revealed a catalogue of serious failings.

Patients at Birmingham Children’s Hospital (BCH) experienced delays in treatment, substandard care and youngsters being redirected to other services, according to the Healthcare Commission report.

The investigation also found some complex neurosurgery had been carried out without the relevant trained nurses.

The BCH NHS Foundation Trust was also criticised for its shortage of beds, equipment and access to operating theatres, and an “ineffective” partnership with the University Hospital Birmingham (UBH).

The Commission’s report was ordered by Health Secretary Alan Johnson after concerns raised by consultants appeared in the Observer newspaper in November. It is the second this week to criticise healthcare standards.

A review of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust – where some patients drank water from vases because they were so thirsty – found deficiencies at “virtually every stage”.