Mr Mark Francois

Can we have an urgent debate on the crisis at Basildon hospital? It is rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission, and it now appears that the CQC will prosecute the hospital early next year for the sad death of two patients from sepsis in 2022 and 2023. Just the other day, 20 ambulances were racked up in the car park outside the A&E department. To be clear, this is not the fault of the hard-pressed and increasingly demoralised staff; it is the fault of the wholly inadequate management of the hospital and, sadly, of the equally inadequate management of the trust of which it is part. We cannot let this situation deteriorate further. Can I ask the Leader of the House for an urgent debate, replied to by a Health Minister, so that we can address the problems at Basildon, and do our best to put them right for both the patients and the staff?