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Stafford Hospital public inquiry to open Stafford Hospital public inquiry opens
(40 minutes later)
Families of patients who died at Stafford Hospital have gathered for a public inquiry, three years after the first demands for an open hearing. A public inquiry into the scandal-hit Stafford Hospital has begun, years after campaigners first demanded an open hearing.
A 2009 report condemned conditions at the scandal-hit hospital, said to have caused hundreds of unnecessary deaths. A 2009 report condemned conditions at the hospital, said to have caused hundreds of avoidable deaths.
The last government ordered a private investigation but refused a wider public inquiry. The last government ordered a private investigation, but refused a wider public inquiry.
But in June the coalition government said the families of those who died deserved to know what went wrong.But in June the coalition government said the families of those who died deserved to know what went wrong.
The start of the inquiry was delayed after one of the relatives objected to the fact family members and the media were in a different room from the inquiry chairman, Robert Francis QC, and his panel.The start of the inquiry was delayed after one of the relatives objected to the fact family members and the media were in a different room from the inquiry chairman, Robert Francis QC, and his panel.
The Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry is being held at the offices of Stafford Borough Council.The Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry is being held at the offices of Stafford Borough Council.
Problems at Stafford Hospital, run by the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust, were first exposed by the NHS regulator in March 2009. It is the fifth inquiry into the higher than expected deaths at Stafford Hospital between 2005 and 2008.
Mr Francis also chaired the fourth inquiry, which he criticised for its narrow remit.
Hoping for answers
Julie Bailey set up the campaign group Cure the NHS to highlight problems at Stafford Hospital and said: "This will get to the truth. We really believe this will be a full examination of what went wrong, not just at the hospital but with the regulatory bodies."
She said the inquiry should find out how much the 50 or so health regulators had known about the problems at Stafford Hospital.
"We believe that if they had done something about it when we first reported concerns, it would have saved many, many lives within this community."
Problems at Stafford Hospital, run by the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust, were first exposed by an NHS regulator in March 2009.
The Healthcare Commission said there had been hundreds more deaths than there should have been between 2005 and 2008.The Healthcare Commission said there had been hundreds more deaths than there should have been between 2005 and 2008.
Catalogue of failingsCatalogue of failings
It listed a catalogue of failings, including cases where untrained Accident and Emergency receptionists had assessed emergency cases. It listed a catalogue of failings, including cases where untrained accident and emergency receptionists had assessed emergency cases.
The Labour government then launched several investigations. The Labour government then started several investigations.
The public inquiry will look beyond the walls of Stafford Hospital at the way the NHS is managed.The public inquiry will look beyond the walls of Stafford Hospital at the way the NHS is managed.
Amongst the million pages of documents there are submissions from doctors, staff and patients from other parts of the country recording similar experiences.Amongst the million pages of documents there are submissions from doctors, staff and patients from other parts of the country recording similar experiences.
Key to the inquiry will be the role of the statutory regulators.Key to the inquiry will be the role of the statutory regulators.
Monitor gave the hospital a clean bill of health and made it a foundation trust a month before the Healthcare Commission began its first investigation.Monitor gave the hospital a clean bill of health and made it a foundation trust a month before the Healthcare Commission began its first investigation.
Were they talking to each other?Were they talking to each other?
Huge reputations are at stake; David Nicholson, now head of the entire NHS, was in charge in this region in 2005.Huge reputations are at stake; David Nicholson, now head of the entire NHS, was in charge in this region in 2005.
The current chief executive of the Care Quality Commission, Cynthia Bower, took over as head of West Midlands Strategic Health Authority, with responsibility for measuring quality and safety, from 2006 until 2008.The current chief executive of the Care Quality Commission, Cynthia Bower, took over as head of West Midlands Strategic Health Authority, with responsibility for measuring quality and safety, from 2006 until 2008.
Ultimately the inquiries recommendations should change the way safety in our hospitals is monitored.Ultimately the inquiries recommendations should change the way safety in our hospitals is monitored.
These included an independent inquiry, led by Robert Francis QC. However, this was held in private and did not have the power to compel witnesses to give evidence. These included an independent inquiry led by Mr Francis. However, this was held in private and did not have the power to compel witnesses to give evidence.
When it reported in February it said the trust had been driven by targets and cost-cutting.When it reported in February it said the trust had been driven by targets and cost-cutting.
Managers had been focused on winning elite foundation trust status during the problem years.Managers had been focused on winning elite foundation trust status during the problem years.
But campaigners said the failings went far wider than the hospital itself, and the broader NHS and regulators should have realised there were problems and stepped in.But campaigners said the failings went far wider than the hospital itself, and the broader NHS and regulators should have realised there were problems and stepped in.
They demanded a full public inquiry with stronger legal powers.They demanded a full public inquiry with stronger legal powers.
In June, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley announced Robert Francis would continue the work he had already done on investigating the hospital by leading just such an inquiry. In June, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley announced Mr Francis would continue the work he had already done on investigating the hospital by leading just such an inquiry.
Mr Lansley said this would focus on how the culture in the NHS had allowed the failings to happen.Mr Lansley said this would focus on how the culture in the NHS had allowed the failings to happen.
He said the families of patients who suffered at the hospital deserved to know that.He said the families of patients who suffered at the hospital deserved to know that.
The inquiry will consider more than a million pages of evidence and will hear from dozens of witnesses.The inquiry will consider more than a million pages of evidence and will hear from dozens of witnesses.
Hoping for answers
Campaigners are hoping they will now get some of the answers they have been seeking for years.Campaigners are hoping they will now get some of the answers they have been seeking for years.
They want to hear from the chief executive who was in charge at the time, as well as senior managers from the NHS in Staffordshire and Whitehall and former health ministers.They want to hear from the chief executive who was in charge at the time, as well as senior managers from the NHS in Staffordshire and Whitehall and former health ministers.
Julie Bailey, who set up the campaign group Cure the NHS, said it was an important day for her.
"It means such a lot to us," she said. "I hope this will lead to a big culture change in the NHS. We deserve to know why it was allowed to happen, and whether it could happen anywhere else."
Stafford Hospital management have said they have been working hard to improve patient care over the past 18 months.Stafford Hospital management have said they have been working hard to improve patient care over the past 18 months.
The new chief executive, Anthony Sumara, said they had taken on 140 more nurses, improved training, and changed procedures in the areas which had problems.The new chief executive, Anthony Sumara, said they had taken on 140 more nurses, improved training, and changed procedures in the areas which had problems.
He welcomed the public inquiry and hoped it would help improve confidence in the hospital.He welcomed the public inquiry and hoped it would help improve confidence in the hospital.
"It's desperately important for the NHS in general that we get some answers," he said."It's desperately important for the NHS in general that we get some answers," he said.
He said he worries the impending reorganisation of the NHS and a tougher financial climate could provide the ingredients for similar problems to be repeated. He said he worried the impending reorganisation of the NHS and a tougher financial climate could provide the ingredients for similar problems to be repeated.
"We need to make sure we don't take our eye off the ball again," he warned."We need to make sure we don't take our eye off the ball again," he warned.
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