BASILDON Hospital bosses have told health watchdogs they are making progress in remedying concerns raised last year.

Alan Whittle, chief executive of the beleaguered hospital, and chairman Michael Large, were hauled before a Essex County Council committee to give an update on the hospital’s progress following last year’s hygiene scandal.

An unplanned visit to the hospital by health regulator the Care Quality Commission, last October, revealed serious concerns about the hospital’s hygiene standards, high mortality rates, and management practices.

Concerns were also raised about care options for children and patients with learning disabilities.

Speaking in front of the council’s health overview and scrutiny committee in Chelmsford, the two men said good progress had been made in all these areas.

They said patient feedback was positive, with about 96 per cent of the 3,500 people surveyed every month saying they would recommend the hospital to others.

Mr Large said: “The whole hospital has gone through a learning curve, which has put us in a much better place.

“We’re working towards a hospital with a much better environment, with a much better culture.

“So, although it has been a very difficult year, we are in a much better place going forward.

“We’re all still sitting here because we’re absolutely determined to see it through.”

Chief executive Mr Whittle said adherence to Government hygiene standards was now at 96 per cent, and regularly reached 98 per cent.

Mr Whittle also said the hospital had met two of five conditions set by the Care Quality Commission.

These were to carry out a care plan for every single patient entering the hospital and to respond to a long list of recommendations made by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The three conditions which still need to be met, and will be assessed between now and August, are to take further action to reduce the risk of legionella, to monitor the training of clinical staff in caring for severely-ill patients and to set out a system for employee appraisals.

Mr Whittle also said mortality rates had dropped, and he said the hospital was learning from its mistakes of the past, notably in changing practices for failing in its care of quadriplegic Kyle Flack, 20.

Last month the hospital was fined £90,000 after Kyle, from Corringham, suffocated in one of the hospital’s beds.

Mr Whittle said the hospital has created a new post – a learning disabilities nurse adviser – to advise and support hospital staff in dealing with disabled patients.