Cobwebs, chewing gum, dust and cigarette burns were some of the sights which greeted a team of inspectors when they arrived for an unannounced visit to Southend Hospital.
The Cardigan wing entrance was particularly in need of cleaning but hawk-eyed members of the national Patient Environment Action Team were also disappointed with the quality of furniture and linen in some wards.
However, they praised measures taken to tackle the hospital's car parking problem on its "land-locked site", praising the clearly marked disabled bays and drop-off points. More approval came for polite staff and signs to point hospital users in the right direction.
Overall, the hospital trust was given a score of three out of a possible four in the criteria assessed, which also included food and privacy and dignity.
Chris Humbles, director of nursing and quality, said the team's visits were "snapshots" at a particular moment but were not always "perfectly accurate."
But fellow non-executive director, Dr Glyn Jones, said the report was "nothing to be pleased about".
Published Thursday, August 7, 2003
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