Report calls for urgent action at Essex trust

After inspectors found unusually high death rates and a catalogue of serious deficiencies, they asked foundation trust regulator Monitor to intervene.

Inspectors found blood stains on floors and curtains, blood splattered on trays used to carry equipment and badly soiled mattresses

Monitor executive chair Bill Moyes has said the body is using its powers to demand immediate action to ensure “the delivery of rapid improvement of services”.

Improvements in patient care have been “too slow to date”, he said, and Monitor is concerned about the effectiveness of Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals Foundation Trust’s board.

He said: “We will be reviewing the trust’s performance regularly and in detail - if we don’t see measurable results quickly, we’ll take further action.”

CQC chief executive Cynthia Bower said the trust had taken its concerns seriously, but added: “Our confidence in the management’s ability to deliver on commitments and to turn the situation around has been severely dented.”

Trust chief executive Alan Whittle, meanwhile, has said that he is “confident that the actions we, and our cleaning contractor, are taking will return us to compliance by November 30”.

The CQC report reveals that inspectors found blood stains on floors and curtains, blood splattered on trays used to carry equipment and badly soiled mattresses in the accident and emergency department.

They also found equipment being used repeatedly that should only be used once, and resuscitation room equipment that was past its use-by date.

Other items included blood-pressure cuffs stained with blood, suction machines contaminated with fluid inside and out, and apparent mould on equipment.