Hospital meets hygiene standards

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/essex/8428430.stm

Version 0 of 1.

A hospital trust in Essex criticised for major hygiene lapses and high death rates has taken action to address concerns, a health regulator has said.

Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was found to not meet required standards.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said the hospital is taking action on infection prevention and control and now meets minimum hygiene standards.

CQC will carry out further unannounced inspections in the new year.

The CQC said it carried out an unannounced follow-up inspection on 4 December and found the trust has met the requirements of a warning notice issued in October.

'Will not stop'

CQC chief executive Cynthia Bower said the trust had made an "encouraging start".

"It now needs to respond to the remaining concerns we have raised in other key areas," she added.

"We will be checking closely to ensure everything is put right, and we will not stop until this is done.

"It is imperative that the trust addresses these issues urgently and effectively on behalf of the people of Basildon and Thurrock."

In the new year, CQC will inspect the hospital's A&E department to check that recommendations for improvement have been acted upon.

The trust's chief executive Alan Whittle said: "We very much regret the unacceptable conditions that the CQC team found when they inspected A&E in October.

"We took immediate remedial action during the visit and instigated a series of actions in response to their feedback."