The Department was informed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on 13 October that it would issue Basildon and Thurrock NHS Foundation Trust with a warning notice following a healthcare associated infection inspection by CQC on 8 October. CQC continued discussions with the trust, the primary care trust and Monitor regarding wider concerns about the trust, including persistently high mortality rates and issues relating to the trust’s accident and emergency department. Subsequently, the Commission formally invited Monitor to use its powers of intervention to address the failings identified. CQC informed the Department on 25 November that it had invited Monitor to intervene at the trust.
The CQC did not contact the Department regarding Colchester NHS Foundation Trust. The intervention at Colchester has been taken by Monitor.