NHS trust faces probe into high death rate and blood-spattered equipment

dailymail.co.uk ^ | Nov. 26, 2009 | Daily Mail Reporter

[Free ThinkerNY]

Action will be taken against an NHS trust after inspectors found blood-splattered equipment and an unusually high death rate among patients.

Inspectors for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published a report earlier this month raising concerns about Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Now, the CQC has asked the regulator of foundation trusts, Monitor, to investigate.

It has told Monitor it has lost confidence in the ability of the trust's management to steer through changes.

Inspectors from the CQC found blood stains on floors and curtains, blood splattered on trays used to carry equipment and badly soiled mattresses with stains soaked through in the A&E department.

They also found equipment being used repeatedly that should only be used once and resuscitation room equipment that was past its use-by date.

Other items found at the trust included blood pressure cuffs stained with blood, suction machines contaminated with fluid inside and out and apparent mould.

The trust's death rate in 2008 for all emergency admissions was 6.1 per cent, above the national average of 4.4 per cent.

The CQC report said: 'In the accident and emergency department we found dust on high and low surfaces, including curtain rails, vents and floors.

'We saw floors that were stained with blood and other fluid spillages and black dirt had accumulated in the corners of the bay areas.

[SIDENET]

The wonders of socialized medicine.

[neodad]

'In the accident and emergency department we found dust on high and low surfaces, including curtain rails, vents and floors.

'We saw floors that were stained with blood and other fluid spillages and black dirt had accumulated in the corners of the bay areas

Coming soon to a government run ER near you...

[Chode]

they pretend to pay us, so we pretend to work...