This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/kent/7347889.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Bug trust families demand apology | Bug trust families demand apology |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Relatives of people who died in a superbug scandal at a Kent NHS trust have been offered compensation but want an apology, their lawyer has said. | Relatives of people who died in a superbug scandal at a Kent NHS trust have been offered compensation but want an apology, their lawyer has said. |
| Solicitor Sarah Harman is representing more than 20 families who lost loved ones in clostridium difficile outbreaks at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS. | Solicitor Sarah Harman is representing more than 20 families who lost loved ones in clostridium difficile outbreaks at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS. |
| The NHS trust denied it had not apologised or offered explanations to those affected by the outbreaks. | |
| The claims are being dealt with by the NHS Litigation Authority. | The claims are being dealt with by the NHS Litigation Authority. |
| Ms Harman said her clients had been offered compensation, but did not say how much. | Ms Harman said her clients had been offered compensation, but did not say how much. |
| We apologised to all relatives and patients immediately following the publication of the Healthcare Commission Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust | |
| She said: "What the trust is doing is just offering money and saying, without any admission of liability, that money is offered and this is not what my clients want. | She said: "What the trust is doing is just offering money and saying, without any admission of liability, that money is offered and this is not what my clients want. |
| "My clients want proper apologies for the way that they and their relatives have been treated." | "My clients want proper apologies for the way that they and their relatives have been treated." |
| Carol Higgins, of Loose, Kent, who lost her 83-year-old mother to C.diff after she went into Maidstone Hospital for a hip operation, said: "I'm not interested in the money, I want justice. I don't want this to happen again." | Carol Higgins, of Loose, Kent, who lost her 83-year-old mother to C.diff after she went into Maidstone Hospital for a hip operation, said: "I'm not interested in the money, I want justice. I don't want this to happen again." |
| But in a statement, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said: "We apologised to all relatives and patients immediately following the publication of the Healthcare Commission report last October and repeat that apology now." | |
| It said a public helpline set up by the trust had received a number of calls and assisted relatives and patients with their concerns. | |
| Rose Gibb resigned ahead of the Healthcare Commission's report | Rose Gibb resigned ahead of the Healthcare Commission's report |
| "Glenn Douglas, our chief executive, has on several occasions since then offered to meet patients' relatives, either individually or together, to talk about what happened in the past, and express our regret," the statement said. | |
| It added that the trust's chief nurse and a senior medical team had also met a number of relatives last month to discuss their care concerns. | |
| The Healthcare Commission report concluded that C.diff - a bacterial infection of the gut which mainly affects the elderly - was definitely or probably the main cause of death for 90 patients at the trust. | |
| It was definitely a contributing factor in the deaths of a further 124, and a probable factor in another 55. | It was definitely a contributing factor in the deaths of a further 124, and a probable factor in another 55. |
| Rose Gibb, who was chief executive of the trust at the time of the outbreaks, resigned days before the report was published. | Rose Gibb, who was chief executive of the trust at the time of the outbreaks, resigned days before the report was published. |
| 'Systems failure' | |
| Health Secretary Alan Johnson halted her severance pay while legal advice was sought, but the trust later announced a six-months' pay severance deal under which Ms Gibb would receive half her salary. | Health Secretary Alan Johnson halted her severance pay while legal advice was sought, but the trust later announced a six-months' pay severance deal under which Ms Gibb would receive half her salary. |
| Last week, Ms Gibb began legal action in the High Court but did not say how much she hoped to recover. | Last week, Ms Gibb began legal action in the High Court but did not say how much she hoped to recover. |
| Ms Harman said many of the families joined her group of clients "as a result of Rose Gibb pursuing a pay-off which they feel shows she has no remorse or accountability". | Ms Harman said many of the families joined her group of clients "as a result of Rose Gibb pursuing a pay-off which they feel shows she has no remorse or accountability". |
| And she added that many of them made complaints about their relatives' care at the time, and were "mostly ignored, downplayed or rejected", although the Healthcare Commission later revealed "a systems failure throughout the hospital trust". | And she added that many of them made complaints about their relatives' care at the time, and were "mostly ignored, downplayed or rejected", although the Healthcare Commission later revealed "a systems failure throughout the hospital trust". |
| She said the sums offered to the families so far were less than the £250,000 pay-off Ms Gibb has been reported to be fighting for. | She said the sums offered to the families so far were less than the £250,000 pay-off Ms Gibb has been reported to be fighting for. |
| The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Kent Police are still investigating the matter. | The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Kent Police are still investigating the matter. |
| Steve Walker, chief executive of the NHS Litigation Authority, said: "In respect of the claims that have been made, where we have been able to we have made offers of compensation and we are awaiting either their acceptance or rejection." | Steve Walker, chief executive of the NHS Litigation Authority, said: "In respect of the claims that have been made, where we have been able to we have made offers of compensation and we are awaiting either their acceptance or rejection." |