Calls are mounting for urgent reform to the way hospitals are regulated after a report found a catalogue of failings at two hospitals in Essex.
The independent regulator highlighted an unusually high death rate and poor hygiene, including blood-spattered kit.
Basildon and Thurrock NHS trust said concerns were not indicative of wider problems, but a taskforce has been sent in to force through improvements.
Most inpatient care is provided at Basildon University Hospital, which has 777 beds, and outpatient care at Orsett hospital in Grays.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the trust as “good” overall in October. But a new report from an unannounced inspection team carried out by the CQC found evidence of sub-standard care.
The inspectors reported: floors and curtains stained with blood; badly soiled mattresses in the A&E department with stains soaked through to the foam filling; blood-splattered on trays used to carry equipment; items that should only be used once still in use; and, equipment in the resuscitation room that was past the use-by date.
The inspectors criticised a poor care environment in A&E, in particular a lack of privacy for patients. They also highlighted inadequate arrangements to treat children, with few specialist paediatric staff.
The CQC has asked the regulator of foundation trusts, Monitor, to take action.
An expert taskforce will be sent into the trust with a remit to drive rapid improvements in patient care.
Read more at BBC Health.
Tags: CQC, Mid Staffordshire, Ratings
