Hospital rated ‘inadequate’ over leadership and infection failures

A hospital run by the largest trust in the East of England has been downgraded to “inadequate” by the care regulator, which found ”disconnected” leaders and “bowls of bodily fluids left for multiple hours”.

The Care Quality Commission is also taking enforcement action against Basildon Hospital, run by Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust, due to problems found in its emergency department.

It said conditions had been placed on its registration – a step up from a warning notice served to the service earlier this year.

The CQC rated urgent and emergency care services as “inadequate”, in what was the first inspection of the department since MSEFT was created in a merger five years ago. Medical care services, including older people’s care, were also inspected, and were again rated “requires improvement”.

The overall hospital rating dropped to the lowest score from “requires improvement” following the visits between December last year and March this year,.

The CQC said emergency department, hospital and trust leaders were “disconnected from each other”, which created a “culture of distrust and low morale” among staff. 

Hazel Roberts, its deputy director of operations in the East of England, said inspectors also found “serious overcrowding” in the emergency department, which was risking patient safety. 

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Source: HSJ, 15 October 2025