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Culture change needed in Welsh NHS says lawyer Culture change needed in Welsh NHS says lawyer
(35 minutes later)
The lead lawyer for the public inquiry into neglect at Stafford Hospital in Staffordshire has said a culture change is needed in the NHS in Wales. The lead lawyer for the public inquiry into neglect at Stafford Hospital has said a culture change is needed in the NHS in Wales.
Peter Watkin Jones warns key conclusions should not be ignored in Wales.Peter Watkin Jones warns key conclusions should not be ignored in Wales.
And the Welsh MP given the role to review how English NHS hospitals deal with complaints says she hopes Wales will follow up some of her proposals. The head of a patient watchdog said hospital banding could be introduced.
The Welsh government say it has systems to ensure quality in the NHS. Health Minister Lesley Griffiths has already defended standards in the Welsh NHS, saying robust systems are in place.
Mr Watkin Jones says attitudes at all levels in the NHS have to change across the board so that patients' interest are put first to ensure the scandal in mid Staffordshire never happens again. The public inquiry at Stafford Hospital found that failings went right to the top of the health service.
"Every organisation at each level must work out how it will ensure that cultural change can be embraced and enacted by them," he said. Its chairman, Robert Francis QC, said that "complacency in the system has meant that all too often patient complaints have been ignored".
Cynon Valley MP Ms Clwyd was given the role by the prime minister after she spoke out about the poor care her late husband received at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. 'Embraced'
She told BBC Wales she has since received over 1,400 complaints about hospital standards, with a number from Wales. On Wednesday, href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-21353892" >giving her initial response, Lesley Griffiths said: "I believe in Wales we have robust systems in place to ensure quality and safety are at the heart of NHS care.
David Cameron appointed Ms Clwyd as an adviser on how NHS hospitals handle complaints on Wednesday. "A recent survey showed 92% of people here are satisfied with that care, however, we are not complacent."
It followed the findings of an inquiry into failings at Stafford Hospital in Staffordshire. Ms Griffiths is expected to give a more detailed response on Thursday.
Peter Watkin Jones said attitudes at all levels in the NHS have to change across the board so that patients' interest are put first to ensure the Stafford Hospital scandal is never repeated.
He said: "Every organisation at each level must work out how it will ensure that cultural change can be embraced and enacted by them,"
Cathy O'Sullivan, chief officer of Aneurin Bevan Community Health Council, speaking on BBC Radio Wales, rejected a suggestion of introducing a chief inspector of hospitals, saying close monitoring of the NHS in Wales was already in place.
Banding hospitals
"What's really required is is a level of independence in reviewing the NHS and working with the organisations very closely to ensure that actually all of that's information is gathered together.
"That's already happening in Wales and I don't know that an individual inspector for the NHS in Wales would make much difference to that," Ms O'Sullivan said.
However, she was also asked whether a system of banding hospitals in Wales, similar to schools, would help.
Ms O'Sullivan said: "The more information you can give patients the better and I would not have a problem with that.
"The whole purpose of keeping the patient in the middle, focussing on the patient is to be open and transparent and be candid about what's actually going on in health care services."
The Welsh MP given the role to review how English NHS hospitals deal with complaints says she hopes Wales will follow up some of her proposals.
Cynon Valley MP Ann Clwyd has been handed the role by David Cameron after she spoke out about the poor care her late husband received at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.
Since then she has received over 1,400 complaints about hospital standards, including a number from Wales.
Ms Clwyd will work alongside South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive Tricia Hart.Ms Clwyd will work alongside South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive Tricia Hart.
Their review will consider how issues raised by patients and their families are listened to and acted upon.Their review will consider how issues raised by patients and their families are listened to and acted upon.
Although it will focus on English hospitals, Ms Clwyd said she hopes some of the proposals put forward will be taken on by Wales. Although it will focus on English hospitals, Ms Clwyd said she hopes some of the proposals will be taken on by Wales.
"Some of the proposals we will be putting forward I'm sure can be taken up by Wales as well if Wales so wishes," she said. Last year Ms Clwyd said her husband Owen Roberts died "like a battery hen" in hospital in Cardiff.
"Obviously my own direct experience has been in Wales very recently and of course with constituents. She has previously tackled the prime minister in the Commons about how he would respond to complaints about nurses who failed to show care and compassion to patients.
"I have been a constituency MP for 28 years so I have dealt with a lot of complaints in the health service over that period of time."
'Care and compassion'
Last year Ms Clwyd said her husband Owen Roberts died "like a battery hen" at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff.
She has previously tackled the prime minister at question time in the Commons about how he would respond to complaints about nurses who failed to show care and compassion to patients.
Ms Clwyd said that since speaking out she had received over 1,400 emails and letters from people who had experienced poor standards of care in hospital.
"I have had letters from people who talk about things like their relatives lying in urine-soaked sheets, in faeces, not being able to reach their food because they were physically not able to do so, so the food was left by the bedside," she said.
"So I have had all these complaints made in letters and I'm afraid quite a number of them apply to Wales."
Her appointment came after the public inquiry into failings at Stafford Hospital found that failings went right to the top of the health service.
The inquiry's chairman, Robert Francis QC, said that "complacency in the system has meant that all too often patient complaints have been ignored".
'Striving for excellence'
The Welsh government said on Wednesday that it would look at the Francis report in detail to make sure the failings in Stafford were not repeated in Wales.
Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said: "I believe in Wales we have robust systems in place to ensure quality and safety are at the heart of NHS care.
"A recent survey showed 92% of people here are satisfied with that care, however, we are not complacent.
"We are striving for excellence and will examine the Francis report in detail to see what can be learnt to ensure the systemic failures of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust are never part of the culture of the NHS here in Wales."