Statement: Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust
25 February 2010 (updated on 22 April 2010)
Health Secretary, Andy Burnham, made a statement in the Commons on the report of the independent inquiry into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.
- Video and Audio: Statement: Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust
- Commons Hansard: Statement: Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust
- About Parliament: Ministerial statements
- Report: Final report Of the independent inquiry into care provided by Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust (external site)
The inquiry, led by Robert Francis QC, was held in private and mainly focused on what happened inside the trust and in particular Stafford Hospital, one of two run by the organisation.
Mr Burnham said that the report had been asked to discover:
- what had gone wrong at Stafford hospital and why
- what lessons can be learned
- what further action is needed to ensure the trust is delivering a sustainably good service to its local population
In particular the inquiry was asked to focus on listening to patients and their families.
The Minister said that Mr Francis's report "lays bare a dysfunctional organisation at every level and appalling failures of basic care over the period between 2005 and March 2009". The report makes 18 recommendations which the Government accepts in full.
More than 900 members of the public and 82 current and former members of staff contacted the inquiry directly or indirectly, and 113 witnesses gave oral evidence.