Colchester Hospital has declared a major incident today, following a visit from the Care Quality Commission yesterday.

The declaration means that a review of the whole hospital will be undertaken, including considerations over demand for services, levels of staffing, capacity, and areas for improvement.

Peter Wilson, acting chairman of Colchester Hospital University Foundation NHS Trust, said: “Yesterday the Care Quality Commission visited here and visited A&E and EAU departments.

“Disappointingly although they commented favourably on some aspects their general view was that the situation had not improved.

“We have already put actions in place to address some of the issues they face.

“We are however facing an unprecedented demand at the front end and have declared today a major incident, which means a whole hospital review of demand, capacity, staffing levels and discharge processes, and other opportunities for improvement.

“We have established a control centre under the command of the chief operating officer.”

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