Hospital warned to urgently improve A&E wait times
Getty ImagesA hospital has been ordered to urgently improve the speed of patient assessment in its A&E waiting room.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said prolonged waiting times could be posing a particular danger to patients with deteriorating conditions.
It comes two months after a woman spent 28 hours waiting for care at Basildon Hospital before being discharged.
The Mid and South Essex Trust, which runs three sites including Basildon, says it is working with the regulator to improve waiting times.
The warning notice was served by the CQC after it revealed "significant concerns" over patient safety after carrying out an unannounced inspection in December, then following up in January.
PA MediaDuring the inspections, the CQC identified an absence of a "robust booking system" which could compromise patient safety if they were not assessed properly upon admission.
As a result, the commission utilised Section 31 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, which gives it the powers to urgently alter or remove conditions of registration.
During the visits, inspectors said they were forced to raise the alarm after one person had a seizure on the floor.
On another occasion, a patient was so ill they had to be resuscitated.
After the first visit, the hospital trust had said a nurse and health care assistant would be added to the waiting room team, but inspectors reported they did not see any during the follow-up on 8 January, according to the letter.
The CQC's deputy regional director, Hazel Roberts, said the booking system - which staff and patients said could take hours during busy times - risked patients deteriorating while waiting to be booked in.
Diane Sarkar, chief nursing and quality officer from MSEFT, said: "Although we know there is more work to do, we've been quick to address the immediate concerns raised."
The trust said registered nurse and health care assistants had been added to the waiting room rota, but it would also look into expanding its emergency department with capital investment, and bringing in external support.
The CQC said the full report would be published when the quality assurance process was complete.
The hospital is currently rated "requires improvement" overall.
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