CQC report on Basildon University Hospital 'disappointing'

Basildon University Hospital was praised for monitoring Covid patients safely at home rather than admitting them

A councillor has branded a report into the NHS trust that runs Basildon University Hospital "disturbing".

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust - which runs Basildon, Southend and Broomfield hospitals - was rated as "requires improvement" last year.

Shane Ralph, chair of Thurrock Council's health and wellbeing overview and scrutiny committee, said "he was hoping to see a better improvement".

The Trust has said it was "committed to providing the very best services".

Diane Sarkar, chief nursing officer for the Trust, gave a briefing about the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection to the committee last week.

She said it was "pleasing" to note the improvement in Basildon's maternity unit rating from "inadequate" to requiring improvement, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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Safety improvements were demanded at the unit in 2020 after a string of incidents, including one where a woman bled to death in childbirth.

However, Mr Ralph said : "When it comes to maternity we have been here twice before and I was hoping to see a better improvement.

"It's still the same things, lack of communication in handovers, staff report errors. Those have come up again and again and I just feel lessons haven't been learnt.

"That's what I found disappointing and then to read about basic procedures where machines weren't being checked I find that very disturbing."

A spokesman for the NHS Trust has said: "Over the last few years we have made improvements to our maternity services, including recruiting 40 newly-qualified midwives, a consultant midwife, practice development midwives and maternity care assistants and securing almost £2m in funding for the further recruitment and development of staff.

"We are pleased that the CQC's latest inspection recognised the work that has taken place and improved our rating."