Basildon Hospital has been issued a formal warning to urgently improve the speed of patient assessments in its Accident and Emergency (A&E) department following serious concerns raised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The regulator found that prolonged wait times could be placing patients with deteriorating conditions at significant risk.
The CQC carried out an unannounced inspection at Basildon Hospital in December, followed by a second visit in January, after multiple reports of excessive wait times and inadequate patient assessment procedures. The investigation revealed systemic issues in the hospital’s booking system, leading the regulator to serve a warning notice under Section 31 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. This provision grants the CQC authority to enforce immediate changes in the hospital’s operations to safeguard patient welfare.
One of the most alarming cases that triggered the review involved a woman who endured a staggering 28-hour wait in A&E before being discharged without receiving adequate care. Additionally, inspectors witnessed distressing incidents, including a patient suffering a seizure on the floor and another requiring emergency resuscitation due to a delayed response from medical staff.
The key issue identified by the CQC was the absence of a “robust booking system,” which prevented proper patient assessment upon arrival. Without an efficient triage process, there was a heightened risk of patients’ conditions worsening while they awaited care. According to CQC’s deputy regional director, Hazel Roberts, delays in the booking process often lasting several hours meant that critically ill patients were not receiving timely intervention.
Despite prior assurances from the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT), which operates Basildon Hospital along with two other sites, inspectors found that promised improvements had not been fully implemented. Although the hospital initially committed to placing a nurse and a healthcare assistant in the waiting area to expedite patient assessments, CQC inspectors reported no visible changes during their follow-up visit on January 8.
Acknowledging the CQC’s concerns, MSEFT’s Chief Nursing and Quality Officer, Diane Sarkar, stated, “Although we know there is more work to do, we’ve been quick to address the immediate concerns raised.” The trust has since reintroduced additional nursing staff and healthcare assistants in the A&E waiting room to enhance patient monitoring.
Further, the hospital is considering a long-term strategy that includes:
- Expanding the emergency department through capital investment to accommodate more patients.
- Introducing external support to manage patient flow and reduce overcrowding.
- Enhancing the hospital’s triage system to ensure urgent cases receive priority care.
The CQC has indicated that its full report on Basildon Hospital’s A&E department will be released once its quality assurance process is complete. The hospital currently holds an overall rating of “requires improvement”, a status that could be reassessed depending on the success of the corrective measures being implemented.
The warning serves as a critical reminder of the importance of timely emergency care and the need for hospitals to ensure that vulnerable patients receive urgent medical attention without unnecessary delays. With increasing pressure on the NHS and emergency departments across the UK, the improvements at Basildon Hospital could set a precedent for broader systemic changes in A&E services nationwide.
