A PRIVATE hospital has been rated “inadequate” by health inspectors.

Baddow Hospital was given the lowest possible rating for effectiveness and leadership, and also branded “inadequate” for its surgery services.

The Care Quality Commission has also said the hospital “requires improvement” for responsiveness, safety, and its outpatient services.

Inspectors carried out announced and unannounced visits at the West Hanningfield Road hospital in September.

They found unqualified staff safeguarding patients, where: “neither were registered professionals nor trained in line with national guidance.”

They also found a lack of records detailing the history of the difficult airway and spinal equipment trolleys - crucial medical equipment.

Professor Ted Baker, the CQC’s deputy chief inspector for hospitals, added: “Staff we spoke with confirmed they had not received training on dementia or learning disability.

“At the same time (they) confirmed patients living with these conditions accessed the hospital.

“The service was not aware of many of the risks identified throughout our inspection, such as safeguarding training and policies on consent.”

He added these issues were already raised in 2014, when the hospital was first checked but not rated.

Prof Baker also flagged up the hospital’s audit trails were in disarray, with no record of national audits, while “oversight and analysis of local audit was limited.”

However, the hospital was praised for cleanliness, infection control, patient healthcare records and pain management.

Prof Baker added: “Access and flow through the service was seamless, and admission times were flexible dependent on patient request.”

Christian Cooper, CEO at Baddow Hospital welcomed the criticism, and said plans have already been rolled out to smooth out issues outlined by the CQC.

He said: "“We welcome the constructive criticism contained in the CQC report and have already implemented an action plan to address those points raised as needing attention.

"Most of those points cover governance and procedural issues which we fully accept we can improve on.

"The report did, though, identify a number of very positives areas which directly impact on patient care."