Hospital Trust invited to council committee following maternity unit inspection

Thurrock Council’s Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee will hear from senior hospital trust members from Basildon University Hospital, part of the Mid and South Essex Hospitals Group, about the improvements they have made following the findings of a recent Quality Care Commission (CQC) inspection of their maternity unit.

The maternity unit was given an inadequate rating after an unannounced focused inspection carried out by the CQC in June 2020.

Cllr Shane Ralph, chair of the committee, said:

“This is an issue of great concern to us and the borough’s residents. Women going into Basildon’s maternity unit will be concerned by reports they have seen about the unit following the CQC inspection.

“We have asked members of the hospital trust to attend our November meeting to outline what improvements they have made and will be making to reassure women that they can be confident to go to Basildon University Hospital to have their babies.”

Following their inspection, the CQC issued a warning notice to the trust identifying the specific areas where improvements must be made. Their report recognised that improvements had been put in place and were ongoing. The improvement plan is being monitored on a weekly basis by the Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS England and the CQC.