THE NEW chief executive of Basildon Hospital told of her hopes for the future after its paediatric care was branded “completely unacceptable” by a health watchdog.

Clare Panniker took the helm from beleagured predecessor Alan Whittle two months ago and spoke of her disappointment at the trust facing another crisis so soon under her leadership.

The hospital has been ordered by the Care Quality Commission to launch an independent review of paediatric services.

The commission carried out an unannounced inspection on November 3 following two serious incidents in October suspected to be linked to medication received by children, including a ten-year-old girl who later died.

Today, it also served two improvement notices on the trust calling for urgent improvements to paediatric services.

Mrs Panniker said: "After two months this was not what I was hoping for, I hoped to be able to build on the success of the last couple of months."

However, she said a series of measures were under way.

Special report in tomorrow's Echo.