BASILDON AND THURROCK hospital deemed to have “major problems” has been making improvements, a health watchdog has said.
Basildon Hospital was criticised in 2009 when Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors found blood-spattered equipment in use.
In the latest report following a unexpected inspection in July, CQC said improvements had been made but more were needed.
The hospital must focus on procedure over patients being released, it said.
Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust must also give staff more training on how to deal with violent and abusive behaviour.
CQC said previous concerns over supervision and training of staff on identifying and managing patients whose health is deteriorating, have been addressed.
CQC regional director Frances Carey said: “We will continue to keep a very close eye on standards of care and won’t hesitate to take action if we see standards slipping back”
Inspectors found staff now receive performance appraisals, and staff who needed training over deteriorating patients have received it.
The trust is left with one of the five conditions that CQC imposed on it, which is to focus on its procedure over patients being released.
CQC first raised concerns about the trust in 2009 after it found problems with infection control, the A&E environment and consistently high mortality rates.
“The trust has made progress against the conditions applied during registration. But we have recently identified that there is still more to be done on certain aspects of staff practices and training.
“We will continue to keep a very close eye on standards of care and won’t hesitate to take action if we see standards slipping back.”
