- NHS hospital
Basildon University Hospital
Report from 16 January 2025 assessment
Ratings - Maternity
Our view of the service
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2020 following the acquisition of Mid Essex Hospitals Services NHS Trust and Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital Trust by Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. It is one of the largest hospital trusts in England, serving a population of over 1.2 million people in Central and South Essex. The combined organisation provides acute and some community services across three main hospitals, including: Southend University Hospital; Basildon University Hospital; and Broomfield Hospital. Basildon Maternity Unit is a purpose-built unit which provides both consultant led and midwife led maternity services. The unit comprises of a triage unit, consultant led and midwife led birthing units (including 2 theatres), antenatal and postnatal wards, ultrasound and outpatient services. We carried out an unannounced assessment of maternity services across all three sites. The assessment at Basildon University Hospital commenced on 21 March 2024, and included an unannounced visit to the maternity service by a team of inspectors and specialist advisors on 25 and 26 March 2024. The assessment focussed on a number of quality statements under the Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well Led domains. Following the assessment, the service remains with an overall rating of requires improvement.
People's experience of this service
Throughout the assessment, we generally received positive comments and feedback from people who used the service, relatives, staff and health professionals. Women and birthing people we spoke with during our assessment told us they felt safe, well supported and cared for by both the midwifery and medical teams. Risks were always explained by staff, they felt involved in decision making, and their opinions were listened to. Comments included “I was kept informed of who I could speak to and have all my follow up letters printed”, “I feel safe and well cared for”, and “I have all contact details in my notes should I need them”. Women we spoke with told us they were informed of their planned care and treatment. Follow up arrangements were made prior to discharge which they preferred. One woman in triage stated she felt heard and was happy to speak up in care planning and felt her opinion was welcomed. Some staff we spoke with told us they did not always feel respected, supported, or valued, particularly by senior leaders. Some staff felt they were not always treated in a caring and supportive way by leaders. Mid and South Essex NHS Trust (MSE) maternity provision was rated “worse than expected” in the NHS National Patient Survey Programme published February 2024. Although the results were not site specific, these results have been considered as of part of this report as MSE maternity services remains an outlier.