Basildon Hospital: Maternity unit safety deadline 'met'

Basildon Hospital's maternity unit is waiting for the CQC to decide whether it has successfully complied with safety conditions imposed by the regulator

A hospital trust says it has met an "urgent" deadline to keep women and babies at its maternity unit safe.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) demanded safety improvements be put in place at Basildon Hospital by 16:00 GMT on Monday.

The ultimatum came in a letter, seen by the BBC, that revealed unsafe staffing levels at the unit throughout August.

The Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust said it had implemented "rapid" changes.

It follows a string of safety incidents at the maternity unit, including one in which a mother bled to death shortly after giving birth.

The letter disclosed how improvements demanded by the CQC following previous visits had not been implemented, and that it believed patients were at risk of harm if it did not act.

The CQC told the BBC on Monday it would be issuing a fresh public statement "within the next fortnight"

The conditions were imposed under the Health and Social Care Act, which also allows for the unit's registration to be suspended, effectively shutting it.

The trust has also been ordered to submit monthly reports to ensure the measures are being complied with.

The CQC demanded:

• Management oversight of the maternity service

• An effective system of checks to ensure safe and quality care

• Checks to ensure incidents are graded correctly

• Patients be escalated appropriately to different departments and cliniciansS

• Safety briefings and handovers are effective

• Incidents are reported to the CQC

• Staffing levels are reviewed and maintained safely

In June, CQC inspectors found failings in six serious cases, and the maternity unit was subsequently rated inadequate.

Diane Sarkar, chief nursing officer for the trust, said: "We have met the CQC's deadline, outlining the steps we are taking to address its concerns, and to ensure that we can make both rapid change and embed and sustain the wide range of improvements to Basildon's maternity unit.

"We are absolutely committed to continuing to improve our maternity service and will be providing the CQC with monthly updates.

"We are working closely with them, NHS England, our local Healthwatch groups and the Maternity Voices Partnership to help make those changes a reality and support the delivery of a safe service for women and a supportive environment for our staff."