Inspectors have returned to Colchester General Hospital and are expected to report that the trust has made improvements.

Members of the Keogh review team spent the day at the Turner Road hospital on Friday conducting unannounced visits on a number of wards and also meeting with staff.

They also visited the Essex County Hospital on Thursday afternoon.

The Keogh review was launched in February last year to review the quality of care in 14 hospital due to high death rates.

Colchester Hospital University Foundation Trust (CHUFT) was included as the Summary Hospital Level Mortality Index, which compares the number of deaths including those who died 30 days after leaving hospital, was too high for the previous two years.

In July the trust was given nine key recommendations to improve.

At a board of directors meeting yesterday, interim chief executive Kim Hodgson said: “The report is expected to be published in four to six weeks and we are hoping to receive some informal feedback before then.

“I am assured that if there had been any serious concerns that arose as part of the visit they would have been obligated to inform us at the time.”