An inquest will take place today into the death of a woman who was treated at Basildon Hospital in February.
Pam Chapple, 62, died of a brain haemorrage after her family claim she was made to wait six hours before being transferred from Basildon Hospital to Queen's Hospital in Romford, the regional neurosurgery hospital.
Her son Dan has since set up a Basildon branch of patient advocacy group Cure the NHS.
Basildon and Thurrock Hospital in Essex is one of 14 hospital trusts bracing itself for tough criticism over thousands of needless deaths in a key report next week.
An NHS medical director is set to detail failings in the trusts thought to have had 'excess' death rates going back years.
The report is expected to describe poor care, medical errors and management blunders.
Basildon Hospital is already under investigation for its high death rates, it is now being examined for its treatment of a disabled woman.
The health watchdog says Tina Papalabropoulos died after doctors failed to provide her with intensive treatment.
Basildon Hospital in Essex has been seriously criticised for the way it treated a disabled patient.
The Health Service Ombudsman says the hospital missed "any opportunity" to save the life of Tina Papalabropoulos, who was 23 and had diabetes, epilepsy, dwarfism and learning difficulties.
She died at the hospital in 2009 after being admitted with pneumonia.
The Health Service Ombudsman has criticised an out-of-hours GP for refusing to visit a disabled 23-year-old woman days before being admitted to Basildon Hospital where she died, despite pleas from her mother.
Tina Papalabropoulos, who suffered from learning disabilities, epilepsy, a form of dwarfism and an abnormal curvature of the spine died in January 2009.
Her mother Mrs Papalabropoulos says that doctors see people with learning disabilities only as an "existance".
She believes the serious failures at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust have highlighted the problem: "Vulnerable people like my daughter have been suffering this kind of care for decades.
It seems like all of their skills go out of the window when they get a child with a disability."
Basildon Hospital says it welcomes the Health Service Ombudsman review which found that staff missed opportunities to save the life of a 23-year-old disabled woman in 2009.
In the statement from the hospital in Essex it says since the death of Tina Papalabropoulos it has 'made significant improvement to the care and treatment' of patients with learning disabilities.
"Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust welcomes the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsmans review, and would again like to send its sympathies to the family of Tina Papalabropoulos.
"Since Tina's death the hospital has made significant improvement to the care and treatment we provide our patients with learning disabilities.
– Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust"We were the first trust in the east of England region to have a dedicated Learning Disabilities Nurse Advisor, who since January 2010 has supported patients with learning disabilities of all ages and stages in their health, as well as their families, carers and staff.
"We continue to listen to and value the input of Mrs Christine Papalobropoulos and other patients, their families and carers, to find out what further enhancements can be made."
Basildon Hospital has been criticised by the Health Service Ombudsman for "missing any opportunity" to save the life of a 23-year-old patient.
Tina Papalabropoulos, who suffered from learning disabilities, epilepsy, a form of dwarfism and an abnormal curvature of the spine died in January 2009.
Four days after developing a cough she was admitted with suspected aspiration pneumonia, which meant food had got into her lungs, but had to wait five days to see the respiratory consultant, her mother Christine said.
The report found that when Miss Papalabropoulos arrived at the hospital, doctors "did not provide her with the treatment that her condition would have called for."
The trust was criticised for allowing her to eat and drink, failing to immediately administer antibiotics and for not considering moving her to the "high dependency" unit.
The hospital is currently under investigation for having higher-than-expected death rates.
The Health Ombudsman has criticised Basildon Hospital for "missing any opportunity" to save the life of a disabled patient.
23 year old Tina Papalabropoulos died in 2009, after she was made to wait five days to see a consultant.
The investigation was prompted to look into Basildon Hospital after two consecutive years of higher than expected deaths. According to NHS statistics, which also take into account patients who died within 30 days of being discharged:
Between July 2010 and June 2011 there were 263 more deaths than the 1658 expected.
Between July 2011 and June 2012 there were 244 more than the projected 1699.
The latest statement from the Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation reads:
The Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is absolutely committed to continuing to improve its mortality outcomes.
There is a dedicated group of clinicians, including those external to the Trust, who meet every fortnight to discuss, understand and act on specific diagnostic groups where Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio/Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator indicators are higher than anticipated...
...and to deliver a Trust-wide mortality reduction programme. Mortality is the first quality indicator discussed on the agenda at each Trust Board meeting.
In addition, all hospital deaths are reviewed to identify any lessons that can be learned about the care given.
Clare Panniker, Chief Executive, said:
“We will fully support the review by Sir Bruce Keogh and believe it can only further support our work in this area.
A great deal of work has already taken place, and more is underway to achieve consistently high standards of care, including the introduction of a Trust-wide Quality and Safety turnaround programme.
This is looking at all areas of patient quality and safety, to ensure everyone who comes here receives high quality care and does not come to any harm.
Clearly some of these changes, alongside improvements we are making to how we communicate and listen to staff, will take time. However, we are working hard and are committed to making Basildon Hospital worthy of the local community it serves.
We are working closely with external stakeholders, including regulators, to achieve our aspirations.”
