Cuts trust left patients to die

A damning report by the Healthcare Commission (HC) released on Tuesday judged that the Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust had lost sight of its responsibility to provide safe care in its rush to slash budgets.

The probe was launched after a catalogue of failings at the trust was unearthed in a separate HC report last March.

It said that between 400 and 1,200 more patients had died than would have been expected from 2005 to 2008 due to appalling standards of care at the trust.

Patients were found to have been left unwashed - some for up to a month - and food and drinks had been left out of reach.

Inquiry chairman Robert Francis QC made 18 recommendations for the trust and the government in his final report after hearing evidence from more than 900 patients and families.

Mr Francis said that a chronic staff shortage - in particular nurses - had been the main cause of the sub-standard care.

He recommended that the Department of Health launch an independent examination into how regulators and bodies such as strategic health authorities monitor hospitals, with the aim of catching failing trusts before they could do more damage.

Unison head of health Karen Jennings said: "The fact that staffing levels were so woefully inadequate led to patients paying the price - we believe that the hospital needs to concentrate on recruiting more staff.

"The report rightly emphasises the importance of nurses delivering fundamental care to patients. This is an important point and the trust must take note and ensure that this is delivered, monitored and maintained."

She said that Mid Staffordshire's over-riding desire to become a foundation trust had led managers to focus on finances rather than patients.

Health Secretary Andy Burnham said: "I am accepting all of the recommendations in full.

"These events were unacceptable and do not reflect the experience of millions of patients that use the NHS every day or the dedication and professionalism of the majority of NHS staff."