Medway Maritime Hospital 'still not up to standard'

The hospital trust has been in special measures since July 2013

A Kent hospital put into special measures by the government last year is still failing to meet required patient care standards, inspectors have said.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) made unannounced inspections of the accident and emergency department at the Medway Maritime Hospital in the summer.

Inspectors found the department was still falling a long way short of the standards expected.

The Medway NHS Foundation Trust said it accepted the need for improvements.

Last week, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt urged managers to speed up improvements.

'Inadequate'

The hospital trust was put into special measures in July 2013 following concerns about mortality rates and standards of care.

The hospital was rated "inadequate" and told it would stay in special measures.

An unannounced inspection of the A&E department was then carried out on 27 and 28 July, with a further one at the end of August.

CQC's Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Professor Sir Mike Richards, said the report from the latest inspection would be published in the next few weeks, and inspectors were urgently working with Monitor and NHS England to "protect and promote the safety and welfare of people using the department".

Acting chief executive of the Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Dr Phillip Barnes, said it fully accepted that some changes had "not been made at pace".