Southend University Hospital

Updated 17 September 2025

Southend Hospital is operated by Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust. The Trust was formed on 1st 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.

We carried out an assessment of Emergency and Urgent Care on 27th November 2024, with a focus on Children’s Emergency Department. This service was assessed and rated Requires Improvement overall.

We carried out an assessment of Children and Young People Services at on the 27th November 2024.  Following our assessment the services rating had decreased to Requires Improvement overall.

Following our assessment of Children and Young People Services the concerns raised demonstrate a breach of Regulation 12 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and Regulation 17 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. The service was issued with a Warning Notice under section 29A of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 under Regulation 17 there is a need for the service to demonstrate significant improvements in good governance and quality of health care. 

Updated 21 February 2025

On the 27th of November 2024 we carried out a comprehensive assessment of Children and Young People services at Southend Hospital. This was a responsive assessment in relation to ongoing concerns over the safety of children and young people receiving care at Southend hospital. During our assessment we spoke to staff, children, young people and their families using the service. People we spoke to said staff did their best in a busy service to provide care. People were provided with information and children and young people had support tailored to their needs.

Staff did not always have effective support and skills to deliver safe care. Demands on the service were high, and leaders did not always take timely action to mitigate risk to children and young people using the service. The service was kept safer by the goodwill of staff, often having no breaks and working late. There was a positive supportive culture locally, but staff said the senior trust leadership did not engage and were not visible. Staff did not always feel part of the trust.

As part of our assessment, we requested additional data and information. Some evidence was not provided or available. Due to information gaps in the services, we were not assured leaders had good oversight of care delivery and risk management.

Following our assessment the concerns raised demonstrate a breach of Regulation 12 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and Regulation 17 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. We served a Section 29A Warning Notice for Regulation 17 outlining the breaches which required the service to take action to address.

Updated 12 November 2024

On the 27th of November 2024 we carried out a responsive focused assessment of the paediatric emergency department (PED) at Southend University Hospital. The assessment was prompted in part by notifications of adverse incidents, which are subject to further investigation by CQC as to whether any regulatory action should be taken. As a result, this assessment did not examine the circumstances of the incidents. However, the information shared with CQC about the incidents indicated potential concerns about the quality and safety of the service. This assessment examined those concerns. We inspected 6 quality statements across the safe, responsive and well-led key questions. This assessment did not cover all parts of our assessment framework; therefore, we have only given scores for those areas which we have assessed. We will carry out future assessments to cover other parts of the Framework and will update our website with our findings. We found 2 breaches of the legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment and governance. At our last inspection we rated this service requires improvement. At this inspection the rating has remained requires improvement because:

The management of risks to people across their care journey was not always effective. Staff told us that the high level of demand within the department and staffing shortages impacted on their ability to maintain oversight of the patients in the department and to manage risk effectively. There was limited evidence that the service actively sought out, listened to and responded to information about children and young people who were most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes. The service did not always have effective governance arrangements in place. Staff did not act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, or share this securely with others when appropriate.

In instances where CQC have decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this information on our website after any representations and/ or appeals have been concluded.

We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to concerns found at this assessment.

Updated 15 February 2024

Southend University Hospital is part of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust. Southend University Hospital is a district general hospital located in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex. The hospital has approximately 730 beds, including medical, surgical, maternity, women’s, children’s, and critical care beds.

An assessment was conducted in March 2024 due to concerns about the safety and quality of services. The decision to assess was influenced by information received and a previous inspection, which took place between August and October 2022 at which the maternity service was rated as requires improvement.

The March 2024 assessment focused on the Maternity services, evaluating them based on five key criteria: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-led. Following the assessment the Safe key criteria has resulted in a good rating however Responsive and Well-led remain as requires improvement.

Updated 27 October 2023

Updated 2 August 2016

Effective processes were in place to learn from incidents and staff used learning from incidents and complaints to improve their practice and deliver safer, more effective care. The environment was clean and staff followed infection control procedures. Medicines, including controlled drugs, were safely and securely stored.

Medical and nursing staffing numbers did not always follow guidelines laid down in the Core Standards for Intensive Care Units.

Patients received treatment and care according to national guidelines and best practice. We saw effective multi-disciplinary team working across the units, with good consultant input. Junior doctors were adequately supported to provide safe treatment and assessment. Physiotherapists, dieticians, microbiologists and pharmacists were highly spoken of by CCU staff and were available when needed.

Without exception, staff were complimentary about the leadership on the unit. Managers on CCU and ARCU demonstrated commitment to patient care, delivering a positive patient experience, developing and caring for their staff, robust governance and effective strategic planning.

Updated 23 December 2022

Updated 24 April 2018

Our rating of this service improved. We rated it as good because:

• End of life care improved and has been rated as good overall. The questions of safe, effective, responsive and well-led improved to good. Caring remained the same and was rated as good. The service handled safety incidents well. The service had processes in place to measure their performance. Staff went the extra mile in caring for their patients. The service had a cohesive team and had governance processes in place for the oversight of risk, safety and quality.
• The service managed patient safety well. Staff recognised incidents and reported them appropriately. Managers investigated incidents and shared lessons learned with the whole team and the wider service. When things went wrong, staff apologised and gave patients honest information and suitable support.
• The service provided care and treatment based on national guidance and evidence of its effectiveness. Managers checked to make sure staff followed guidance.
• Staff cared for patients with commitment, dignity and compassion. Feedback from patients confirmed that staff treated them well and with kindness.
• The trust planned and provided services in a way that met the needs of local people.
• The trust had managers at all levels with the right skills and abilities to run a service providing high-quality sustainable care.

Updated 6 March 2020

Our rating of this service stayed the same. We rated it as good because:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them. Staff collected safety information and used it to improve the service.
• Staff provided good care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink, and gave them pain relief when they needed it. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information. Key services were available seven days a week.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.
• People were not always able to access the service when they needed it waiting times were below the national averages. The service did not always close complaints in line with the trust policy. The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

Updated 1 December 2021