The trust which runs Medway Maritime Hospital has been branded the worst in the country, a damning report looks set to reveal.

The hospital, which has been put into special measures as 'failing', has been condemned in an investigation.

Health watchdogs have revealed repeated cases of patients waiting more than 24 hours in casualty.

Now the government has vowed to plough in an extra £1.5bn in funding nationwide in a bid to stave off a winter crisis.

But according to one national newspaper, the Care Quality Commission is due to issue a report on Wednesday warning of major failings in the Medway NHS Foundation Trust.

It's believed the findings could lead to recommendations to restrict the patients coming into A&E, or even the eventual closure of the trust.

The report highlighted in The Telegraph is expected to cite examples of patients waiting in the hospital's A&E department for more than 24 hours on at least 10 occasions this year.

In one instance a patient was said to have waited nearly 35 hours in casualty.

Earlier this year CQC claimed A&E staff at the hospital "felt under siege", with up to 16 ambulances queueing outside.

The revelations come just four months after Medway hospital bosses were again told to make urgent improvements after another damning report.

The Care Quality Commission rated the hospital and the foundation trust as inadequate in July, following a detailed inspection examining every department.

The new-style inspection by the health watchdog comes a year after the trust was placed in special measures.

England's chief inspector of hospitals, Prof Sir Mike Richards, recommended Medway remained in special measures until urgent improvements are made.

Despite some areas being rated as good, inspectors found too few nurses and junior doctors on duty.

There was still a reliance on agency and locum staff - even after recruitment - especially out of hours, and consultants were not providing a seven-day service.

Inspectors also found insufficient progress has been made in A&E at Kent's largest hospital, in Gillingham, since the last inspection in February.

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