CQC report on Basildon University Hospital ‘disappointing’

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

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.

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.”