Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust told it must improve

Changes must be made across services at one of England's biggest NHS trusts following its first wide-ranging inspection, a health watchdog said.

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust - which runs Basildon, Southend and Broomfield hospitals - has been rated as "requires improvement".

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) turned up unannounced after concerns over standards were raised.

Philippa Styles, the CQC's head of hospital inspection, said they "found a mixed picture" of positive improvements and areas of concern.

"Following the trust's formation in 2020, leaders should now be able to work together effectively to ensure care is consistent across all services," she said.

"I recognise the enormous pressure NHS services are under... and that usual expectations cannot always be maintained, especially in the urgent and emergency department, but it is important they do all they can to mitigate risks to patient safety."

The report said:

• Patients had not always been protected from harm.
• Staff had not all received mandatory training.
• There had been nine "never-should-happen" medical events.
• Records were sometimes inaccurate and not kept securely.
• Nursing and medical staffing was a "challenge across the trust", with shifts regularly below planned staffing numbers.
• There had been a high number of whistle-blowers raising concerns.

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Source: BBC News, 1 December 2021