EMERGENCY hit squads will be drafted in to shake up failing hospitals, which could also be placed in “special measures”.

The teams are expected to go in with action plans tailored to each hospital in the wake of a report out today.

The document, by NHS medical director Sir Bruce Keogh, identifies areas for improvement, including better infection control, changes to out-of-hours services and better end-of-life care.

Bosses, including Basildon’s chief executive Clare Panniker will be expected to make the changes quickly or face losing their jobs.

Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle Price said: “It’s what should have happened four years ago and they should have done the job properly.

“We will have to see what the report says. Either way, we have got to learn the lessons from what they have found in this review and fix what’s going wrong.

“I’m sure the staff and management at Basildon will want to work with anyone to make the situation better.”

Stephen Metcalfe, south Basildon and east Thurrock MP, added: “The progress we have made in the last year has been very welcome, but why has it taken four years to get to the point where we are making progress?

“Progress is being made, the new management are putting in place the right framework to deliver a safe and quality-based service. If a support team can help them do that, then all well and good.”

In the light of Sir Bruce’s findings, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce 14 failing hospital trusts will be placed in special measures to meet essential standards.

The report is expected to reveal there were 13,000 needless deaths of hospital patients at the trusts scrutinised in the wake of the scandal at Stafford Hospital.

The findings of the review are expected to name and shame Basildon Hospital for having the worst death rates of any of the 14 NHS trusts.

Up until last year, Basildon Hospital’s mortality rate was 20 per cent above the NHS average.

There were 1,600 more deaths there between 2005 and 2012 than at a hospital with the national average.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said she could not confirm any details until the report was published. No comment was received from Basildon Hospital.

 

Ex-MP: I had concerns at time

A LABOUR peer claims she did all she could to raise concerns about Basildon Hospital when she was an MP.
Baroness Angela Smith of Basildon, was Labour MP for the town when Dr Foster published its
worrying mortality rates report in 2009.
She said she had brought up “some issues” with the hospital and believed the police might have to get involved, if she had been misinformed on how the concerns she had raised were being dealt with.
Baroness Smith said: “Any complaints were given to me I raised directly with the hospital, which was the appropriate thing to do."