The state of NHS Hospitals

..."My Niece also works, caring for the elderly in a nursing home. She informed me that almost everyone of the people in their care that go into hospital come back to the home with either MRSA or scabies! Many of whom die.'...

This is a sad commentary. I'am sure this is not the only hospital with such despicable conditions! It simply reinforces my contention that sickness care so magnanimously billed as health care is a total disaster. Imagine going to these facilities with no family member to watch of over the staff. To get any semblance of care one needs much personal supervision as trust in the authorities is misguided at best...

Sad.

See also:

TOO EASY TO GET EVEN SICKER IN HOSPITAL SAYS STUDY (Revised)

Garlic ingient wipes out hospital superbugs in tests

Chris Gupta
-------------------

My Father died almost a year ago due to septicaemia not cancer. His infection was undoubtedly due to the filthy conditions in Russell's Hall Hospital, Dudley, West Midlands, UK.

Under his bed there was a large patch of what looked like urine dried on the floor, which stayed there for about a week, before I asked the nurse to clean it up. Patients on the cancer ward, walked around with no slippers on their feet and open wounds that were at least bandaged. The patient’s feet were jet black from the filth on the floor.

One uncaring Asian Doctor shouted to my Brother, his wife, my wife and myself, in a ward full of terminally ill patients.. You do know he is dying of cancer don't you? My father was in the bed right next to him when he demonstrated his blatant disregard for the mental stability of all of the patients on Death row Ward! I was so close to putting this prick into a comatose state or worse. I do not know to this day how I kept my hands off this bastards throat.

During our stays at my Fathers bedside, we continually observed Doctors and nurses moving from one patient to another without washing their hands. My wife witnessed a nurse not washing her hands after using a toilet.

In the intensive care unit, when my father's condition frequently worsened and recovered, time and time again, visitors, nurses and doctors failed to use the alcohol gel at the door to the ICU unit.

Now my wife and I are horrified by the lack of basic hygiene and care in our hospitals. During a visit to our G.P. I could not hold back and let her have it both barrels about the state of our health service and all the deaths, some of which I have mentioned, occurring around us, mainly due to improper care at their hands. She asked if we really thought it was that bad when I had finished bending her ear. I replied, It's safer walking the streets of Baghdad than going into an NHS Hospital. She replied Really? I replied: Yes Really! She looked surprised, but not shocked.

The only good thing I can say about the hospital is that my Father's consultant performed a stent operation on his gall bladder to enable bile to drain from his body properly. But only after, I refused to believe him when he told me and my brother that there was nothing that could be done to save my fathers life. I replied, I am going to research this on the Internet to see if there is anything on offer. Immediately, I arrived home and began to research it, I got a call from my Brother saying they were going to perform a stent operation. Funnily enough, the first page I went on was about A Stent Operation, which was routine for Dads type of cancer. This gave my father an extra eight months of good life. Which my family and I are extremely grateful for. Dad came down to our home, with my Brother and his wife, and we had a great time together, but he still looked frail and slightly yellow.

No amount of my persuasion could get my father to try any of the alternative methods of trying to deal with his cancer. I could not even get him to use the water filter jug, which we got him. “The water in the Midlands is polluted with tricohethaline, from the industrial days, where it was used in great volumes, seeping down into the underground water, which supplies the Blackcountry with water. Needless to say, the rate of stomach cancer in the Midlands is high.

I wanted an autopsy performed to see if my Father had contracted anything else while he was in there. But this would have gone against my brother’s wishes, and as he rightly said, it would not have brought him back to us.

The whole story is too depressing for me to go any further at present. But at least he is now free of his pain.

My Grandfather also passed away last year aged 91, and like my father is dearly missed. You might think that it was his age that got him in the end. However, it was Scabies, which he contracted from the nursing home he was in. This was surprising, as he had already survived hepatitis B, which incidentally, he contracted in the same home. Which again was filthy, stinking of urine, with carpets that you pealed your feet off as you walked on them. Needless to say, other members of my family contracted scabies, after tending for my Grandfather and had to be treated.

My Niece also works, caring for the elderly in a nursing home. She informed me that almost everyone of the people in their care that go into hospital come back to the home with either MRSA or scabies! Many of whom die.

I have worked as a removal man, moving Doctors from one hospital to another on many occasions.

One observation was the abhorrent state of their accommodation! We are used to seeing homes at their worst, and indeed have seen our fair share of filthy places. But one does not expect to see it in the hospital-based homes of Doctors, nurses and surgeons.

It is no surprise to me that The National Health Service in the United Kingdom is a breeding ground for every conceivable disease going.

Cleanliness is all that is required, and has been a basic requirement for maintaining the health and lives of vulnerable people, who place their lives in the hands of people, who can’t even keep their own homes in order. I must add, that it was not every Doctor, nurse or surgeon that lived in squallier! But it was by no means a few isolated cases!

One last thing, My wife smokes, at Russell's Hall Hospital, we were advised to go to a porto-cabin at the side of the hospital, as this was where the Doctors and nurses go to smoke. We did, and we could not believe the filth that we saw on entering. In all my life, I have never seen such a filthy disgusting stinking hovel as this place.

3 years plus of chain smokers nicotine was rolling down the walls along with condensation, everywhere was yellow, cigarette buts all over the place. No one has ever cleaned this place! Enough to put anyone off smoking you would think? (Not a chance)

Yet, the allopathic smokers along with their nurses, and probably the cleaning staff also, frequent this god-forsaken hole and then return to treat their patients, or clean the toilets and washbasins?

My wife and I chose to stay away from this place, braving the cold outdoors rather than facing the filth for the sake of an electric heater and a roof.

What did we learn from all of this? We learned that the last place on earth you could ever want to go to is an NHS Hospital in its current condition. Something has got to be done about this state of affairs. We have truly returned to the dark ages!

Readers' Comments

RE: Filthy NHS Hospitals:

Channel 4, Monday 31st January 2005 8pm United Kingdom

Dispatches goes undercover to investigate nursing standards and care of vulnerable elderly patients in two busy NHS hospitals. Two experienced nursing assistants wear hidden cameras inside their uniforms for three months: for the first time nurses are investigating nurses.

What they discover is a damning catalogue of inefficiency, neglect and sub-standard treatment that clearly compromises patient care. Secret filming captures numerous incidents of shocking and unacceptable practices, from a lack of basic hygiene and failure to implement adequate measures to protect patients against the MRSA superbug, to the tragedy of forgotten patients left to lie in their own urine and faeces. The film illustrates how the morale of dedicated nursing staff is crushed by the behaviour of their colleagues, suggesting a profession in crisis and failing to provide the basic levels of care we have come to expect.

If you're unhappy with the standard of care that you, or someone you know, have received in hospital and you want to know how to make a complaint, the following organisations and websites can provide advice and information.

http://www.channel4.com/health/microsites/U/undercover_angels/

Row erupts over secret filming of hospital filth

Health bosses claim that patients were 'put at risk' by nurses who captured appalling conditions for a shocking Channel 4 documentary

Jamie Doward, social affairs editor
Sunday January 30, 2005
The Observer

An undercover investigation which raises alarming questions about the treatment of patients in British hospitals and the standards of cleanliness on their wards has provoked a fresh row about the use of secret filming in television documentaries.
A Channel 4 Dispatches programme, to be screened tomorrow night, shows nurses neglecting elderly patients left in their own urine and faeces while hospital staff ignore measures designed to counter the spread of superbugs.
But the programme, which has been seen by The Observer, has also prompted fresh questions about the motives of documentary makers who use hidden cameras.
Dispatches sent two trained nurses equipped with hidden cameras into the Royal United Hospital, Bath, and Ealing Hospital in London, both of which are ranked in the bottom third of the NHS's league tables.
The undercover footage makes for grim viewing.
In one scene, a porter wheels a patient through a hospital. But the nurses have forgotten to tell the porter his patient is infected with the potentially deadly superbug MRSA and their failure has helped spread the disease around the wards. Another scene shows patients' wash bowls left unclean.
Norma Ndebele, who spent three months undercover at Ealing Hospital, presents her video diary, in which she confides: 'I was working on this ward, six north, where I found pretty much all of the patients I attended to were either sitting in urine or sitting in faeces.'
In another scene, a patient's mattress is shown caked through with blood. A toilet used by patients is shown to be flooded, raising fears that it is becoming a breeding ground for diseases. One of the reporters reveals that clean sheets for an entire ward are missing and that pillow cases have had to be used as makeshift towels.
The programme carries an interview with Jeremy Bore, a member of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), who, after watching the documentary, suggests that standards in the profession 'are now very, very variable. There are definitely healthcare assistants and students around who care very deeply about what they're doing and who care very deeply about the welfare of the patient. There are others who appear to have seriously lost sight of their original objectives.'
The documentary makers conclude nurses show 'a surprising refusal to work as a team, a reluctance to take responsibility and at times a distaste for the dirty end of their work'.
But hospital chiefs and nursing organisations last night attacked the programme, saying it put patients' health at risk because the undercover nurses were concentrating on filming, rather than carrying out their duties.
'Our number one concern is always patient care and so it is worrying when people working on wards are focused on making a documentary rather than looking after patients,' a spokeswoman for the RCN said.
The RCN said it feared the programme would paint a distorted picture of Britain's nursing system. 'We are concerned about how the public will now perceive nurses, the vast majority of whom work very hard and are likely to feel demoralised by the pro gramme,' the RCN spokeswoman said.
The documentary comes at a bad time for Bath's Royal United Hospital, which has recently had to cancel hundreds of non-life threatening operations to cope with a growing number of emergency admissions.
Mark Davies, chief executive of the Royal United Hospital, attacked the programme as a stunt. 'This is reality TV gone bad,' Davies said.
His comments echoed those made in 2003 by the then Home Secretary, David Blunkett, who questioned the BBC's motives in using undercover footage in The Secret Policeman, a documentary which exposed racism among trainee police officers. Blunkett accused the programme's makers of intending 'to create, not report, a story', an attack which sparked a national debate on the ethics of using under cover footage. Blunkett later withdrew the claim.
A Channel 4 spokeswoman defended the programme's decision to use hidden cameras, something that proved effective last year when Dispatches exposed meat traders selling produce unfit for human consumption. 'Dispatches is Channel 4's flagship current affairs programme with a proven and award-winning track record in exposing malpractice and wrongdoing.'
She said the two undercover reporters had followed strict instructions that their patients' needs must always come before filming. 'We are satisfied they acted in a professional way at all times,' the spokeswoman said.
In a statement given to the programme, the trust which runs the Ealing Hospital said it takes all allegations of poor practice seriously and that it had started an immediate investigation into matters raised by the programme.
However, the trust said the Dispatches documentary had not presented a balanced view. 'We do not believe that these allegations represent a real picture of nursing care at Ealing Hospital.'
The Royal United Hospital in Bath said: 'We are always keen to investigate any allegations of poor practice at this hospital and will of course investigate any allegations that are substantiated.'
The Patients' Association, which campaigns on behalf of those in hospital, said the programme had raised some genuine concerns. A spokeswoman said: 'While bad practice is very rare it needs to be dealt with. Patients should expect high quality care and not have to worry about whether they are going to get it.'
· Undercover Angels will be shown tomorrow at 8pm on Channel 4

http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1401910,00.html

organisations
Action for the Victims of Medical Accidents (AVMA)
44 High Street
Croydon CR0 1YB
Helpline: 0845 123 23 52 (Mon-Fri 10-12pm and 2-4pm)
E-mail: admin@avma.org.uk
Website: www.avma.org.uk
Action for Victims of Medical Accidents is the only charity supporting people injured by medical accidents. Offer free practical help and advice to anyone who has suffered injury or harm as a result of inappropriate medical care, poor treatment, or misdiagnosis/failure to diagnose.

Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health
7th Floor, 120 Edmund Street
Birmingham B3 2ES
Tel: 0845 120 7111
E-mail: enquiries@cppih.org
Website: www.cppih.org
The Commission's role is to make sure the public is involved in decision making about health and health services in England. There are 572 Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Forums, one for each NHS Trust in England and they are putting into practice improved health which will only come through continuous engagement of people and communities.

General Medical Council
Regent's Place
350 Euston Road
London NW1 3JN
General enquiries: 0845 357 8001 (Mon-Fri, 8am-5.30pm)
Website: www.gmc-uk.org
Holds general and specialist registers of doctors practising in the UK. The registration department can provide registration details of specific, named doctors, free of charge.

General Dental Council
37 Wimpole Street
London W1G 8DQ
Tel: 020 7887 3800
E-mail: complaints@gdc-uk.org
Website: www.gdc-uk.org
The GDC's purpose is to protect the public by regulating dental professionals in the United Kingdom. Among other things they register qualified professionals, set standards, ensure professionals keep up-to-date and help patients with complaints about a dental professional.

Health Professions Council
184 Kennington Park Road
London SE11 4BU
Tel: 020 7582 0866
E-mail: info@hpc-uk.org
Website: www.hpc-uk.org
A new independent, UK-wide regulatory body set-up to safeguard the health and well-being of patients using the services of the 12 professions it regulates (from physiotherapists to paramedics) and to ensure that the public has access to and are treated by health professionals who are qualified and competent. The HPC does not regulate the following professions: doctors, nurses, dentists, opticians or pharmacists.

Health Service Ombudsman
13th Floor, Millbank Tower
London SW1P 4QP
Enquiries: 0845 015 4033 or 020 7217 4051
Textphone:
020 7217 4066
E-mail: OHSC.Enquiries@ombudsman.gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk/hse
The Health Service Ombudsman investigates complaints about the National Health Service. The Ombudsman is completely independent of the NHS and the government. There is no charge for the Ombudsman's service.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
10-2 Market Towers
1 Nine Elms Lane
London SW8 5NQ
Tel: 020 7084 2000 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; or 020 7210 3000 at other times)
E-mail: info@mhra.gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.mhra.gov.uk
The executive agency of the Department of Health, protecting and promoting public health and patient safety by ensuring that medicines, healthcare products and medical equipment meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, performance and effectiveness, and are used safely. Use the central contact details above as a starting point for issues involving medical devices or medicines.

National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA)
4-8 Maple Street
London W1T 5HD
Helpline: 0800 015 2536
E-mail: enquiries@npsa.nhs.uk
Website: www.npsa.nhs.uk
A Special Health Authority created in July 2001 to co-ordinate nationwide efforts to report, learn from and help prevent adverse events and professional errors occurring in the NHS. Aims to create a safer NHS for patients and promote an open and fair culture within the health service. The NPSA is not able to comment on or investigate individual cases but will act on issues of patient safety at a national level.

NHS Direct
Helpline: 0845 4647 (24 hours)
Website: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
The NHS 24-hour service provides expert health advice from trained nurses. An extensive database of medical information is available on their website. They can also advise you if you wish to make a complaint about the NHS.

Nursing and Midwifery Council
23 Portland Place
London W1B 1PZ
General communications: 020 7333 6666 (avoid peak times Mon 9am-5pm, Tue-Fri 8.30am-11.30am)
E-mail: communications@nmc-uk.org
Website: www.nmc-uk.org
An organisation set up by Parliament to ensure nurses, midwives and health visitors provide high standards of care to their patients and clients. The NMC is responsible for maintaining a live register of nurses, midwives and health visitors, and has the power to remove or caution any practitioner who is found guilty of professional misconduct. In rare cases (e.g. practitioners charged with serious crimes) it can also suspend a registrant while the case is under investigation.

Patients Association
PO Box 935
Harrow HA1 3YJ
Tel: 020 8423 9111
Helpline: 0845 6 084455 (Mon-Fri 10am-4pm)
E-mail: mailbox@patients-association.com
Website: www.patients-association.com
Represents the consumer voice in UK healthcare.

Sufferers of Iatrogenic Neglect (SIN)
Tel: 01924 407195 or 0115 9431 320
E-mail: sinfo@cwcom.net or mag@sinfo.freeserve.co.uk
Website: www.sin-medicalmistakes.org
An independent, voluntary support and pressure group for patients and their relatives who have suffered from sub-standard medical care or a medical mistake. SIN's campaign for patients' rights includes: the patient's right to know the truth about their medical condition and to receive appropriate remedial medical care; control over medical records; an end to the present denial and cover-up culture to one where doctors will be able to acknowledge their mistakes, and a victim's compensation fund.
websites
The Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS)
www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/...
This service, launched in 2003, supports patients and their carers wishing to pursue a complaint about their NHS treatment or care. It provides information, support and guidance, helping people to articulate their concerns and navigate the complaints system.

NHS: Making a Complaint
www.nhs.uk/england/aboutTheNHS/complainCompliment.cmsx
Information on making a complaint against the NHS.

Make Time for Health: About PPI Forums
www.maketimeforhealth.org/about.html
Information about Patient and Public Involvement Forums and contact details if you want to get involved.

The Law Society: Find a Solicitor
www.lawsociety.org.uk
An online directory of law firms and solicitors in England and Wales.

The Public Law Project
www.publiclawproject.org.uk
The Public Law Project (PLP) is an independent, national legal charity which aims to improve access to public law remedies for those whose access is restricted by poverty, discrimination or other similar barriers.
reading
Adverse Events in British Hospitals by Charles Vincent (British Medical Journal, 3 March 2001)
Can be accessed at http://bmj.bmjjourna/cgi/content/extract...
Building a Safer NHS for Patients (Department of Health, 2001)
Available at www.dh.gov.uk
How to Make a Complaint (Patients' Association)
This booklet guides you through the national complaints procedure across all areas of the NHS.
Available free at www.patients-association.com/publications...
(October 2002, resources updated January 2005)
If you have further questions, why not search the extensive bank of answers provided by our trained advisors? Check out just ask.

Posted by: Andrew on February 1, 2005 02:42 PM

The Prime Minister and the Health Secretary apologised today for the “inexcusable?? failings at a hospital trust where at least 400 patients may have died as a result of poor care. Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons, Mr Brown said that there could be no excuses for what happened to patients at Stafford Hospital and promised relatives an independent review of case notes. A damning report from the Healthcare Commission yesterday detailed a catalogue of failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Stafford and Cannock Chase hospitals. Shocking standards of care for patients admitted through A&E put many people at risk and led to deaths, it said. Between 400 and 1,200 more people died from 2005 to 2008 than would have been expected in a three-year period. Related Links * ‘Third World’ hospital may have killed 400 * 'Our team of advisers were simply appalled' * Cameron: NHS is key to victory at the polls Mr Brown said that standards fell far short of what people could expect from the NHS. He insisted that it was an isolated incident, adding that the Healthcare Commission had assured him there were no other hospitals or parts of the NHS which had displayed similar failings. “We do apologise to all those people who have suffered from the mistakes that have been made in the Stafford Hospital,?? he said, adding that it “should never be allowed to happen again??. Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, told the Commons that the failings at Stafford Hospital were “inexcusable??. He said that the report detailed “astonishing failures at every level??. He added: "It is a catalogue of individual and systemic failings that have no place in any NHS hospital, but which were allowed to happen by a board that steadfastly refused to acknowledge the serious concerns about the poor standard of care raised by patients and staff.?? Mr Johnson reiterated his apology from yesterday and set out his response, which included two independent reviews. He said: “Patients will want to be absolutely certain that the quality of care at Stafford Hospital has been radically transformed, and, in particular, that the urgent and emergency care is administered safely. “Our principal concern today must be to reassure the families and friends of patients who have died at Stafford Hospital that they will be able to ascertain whether any of the failings detailed in the Healthcare Commission’s report contributed in any way to the death of their loved ones. “As the Healthcare Commission has said, it is not possible to determine conclusively from any set of statistics whether there were any unavoidable deaths due to poor standards of care – that can only be done through a case notes review. “I can confirm that the new leadership of the trust will respond to every request from those relatives and carry out an independent review of case notes to determine whether or not the care that they or their loved ones received was appropriate.?? Families have described “Third World?? conditions at the trust, with some patients drinking water from vases because they were so thirsty and others screaming in pain. The commission launched an inquiry after concerns were raised about higher-than-normal death rates in emergency care, in particular at Stafford Hospital. The trust argued that the anomalies were due to problems with its recording of data rather than the quality of care for patients, the report said. Not satisfied with this response, the commission began a formal investigation last year, sifting through more than 1,000 documents and interviewing 300 people. It found deficiencies at virtually every stage, including inadequately trained staff who were too few in number, junior doctors left alone in charge at night, and dirty wards and bathrooms. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/gerald_warner/blog/2008/06/17/filthy_hospitals_in_thirdworld_britain_

Posted by: Andrew on March 24, 2009 04:28 AM

 

Published: 11:51AM GMT 24 Feb 2010

Patients 'routinely neglected' at Stafford Hospital
Patients were "routinely neglected" at an NHS hospital after management became preoccupied with cost-cutting and targets, an independent report has concluded.

The Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Stafford Hospital, lost sight of its responsibility to provide safe care, the damning report found.

The probe was launched into events at Stafford Hospital after another report last March from the Healthcare Commission revealed a catalogue of failings at the trust, which also runs Cannock Chase Hospital.

Almost 50,000 patients a year 'die in hospital while suffering from malnutrition'
*
Patients abused by hostile staff, inquiry finds
*
The catalogue of failures at Mid-Staffs trust
*
Government backs hospital inquiry report

Appalling standards of care put many patients at risk, and between 400 and 1,200 more people died than would have been expected in a three-year period from 2005 to 2008, the commission found.

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

But Julie Bailey, who founded the campaign group Cure The NHS after the death of her mother at the hospital, described the report as "absolutely outrageous", adding: "All he's done is recommended another independent inquiry."

Mr Francis, presenting his report at a press conference near Stafford, said: "I heard so many stories of shocking care. These patients were not simply numbers, they were husbands, wives, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, grandparents.

"They were people who entered Stafford Hospital and rightly expected to be well cared for and treated.

"Instead many suffered horrific experiences that will haunt them and their loved ones for the rest of their lives."

He said evidence gathered during the inquiry into events at the trust between January 2005 and March 2009 had shown clearly that for many patients the most basic elements of care were neglected.

Patients were left unwashed, at times for up to a month, and food and drinks were left out of reach of patients, the inquiry found.

Mr Francis also identified a chronic shortage of staff, particularly nurses, as being largely responsible for the sub-standard care give to patients.

He also said that while many staff did their best in difficult circumstances, others showed a disturbing lack of compassion to patients.

Mr Francis said: "The evidence gathered by this inquiry means there can no longer be any excuses for denying the scale of failure.

"If anything, it is greater than has been revealed to date.

"People must always come before numbers. Individual patients and their treatment are what really matters."

Health Secretary Andy Burnham said today: "This was an appalling failure at every level of the hospital to ensure patients received the care and compassion they deserved. There can be no excuses for this.

"I am accepting all of the recommendations in full."

He added: "This was ultimately a local failure, but it is vital that we learn the lessons nationally to ensure that it won't happen again - we expect everyone in the NHS to read the report and act on it.

"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."

Mr Francis recommended that the Department of Health launches an independent examination of how regulators and bodies such as strategic health authorities monitor hospitals, with the aim of learning lessons about how failing trusts are identified.

Today's report found patients were left in dirty bedding and were caused "considerable suffering, distress and embarrassment".

It said: "Requests for assistance to use a bedpan or to get to and from the toilet were not responded to.

"Patients were often left on commodes or in the toilet for far too long.

"They were also often left in sheets soiled with urine and faeces for considerable periods of time, which was especially distressing for those whose incontinence was caused by Clostridium difficile.

"Considerable suffering, distress and embarrassment were caused to patients as a result."

The inquiry also found that the attitude of some nurses "left much to be desired".

It added: "Some families felt obliged or were left to take soiled sheets home to wash or to change beds when this should have been undertaken by the hospital and its staff.

"Some staff were dismissive of the needs of patients and their families."

Posted by: Andrew on March 15, 2010 01:24 PM

 

Published: 11:51AM GMT 24 Feb 2010

Patients 'routinely neglected' at Stafford Hospital
Patients were "routinely neglected" at an NHS hospital after management became preoccupied with cost-cutting and targets, an independent report has concluded.

The Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Stafford Hospital, lost sight of its responsibility to provide safe care, the damning report found.

The probe was launched into events at Stafford Hospital after another report last March from the Healthcare Commission revealed a catalogue of failings at the trust, which also runs Cannock Chase Hospital.

Almost 50,000 patients a year 'die in hospital while suffering from malnutrition'
*
Patients abused by hostile staff, inquiry finds
*
The catalogue of failures at Mid-Staffs trust
*
Government backs hospital inquiry report

Appalling standards of care put many patients at risk, and between 400 and 1,200 more people died than would have been expected in a three-year period from 2005 to 2008, the commission found.

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

But Julie Bailey, who founded the campaign group Cure The NHS after the death of her mother at the hospital, described the report as "absolutely outrageous", adding: "All he's done is recommended another independent inquiry."

Mr Francis, presenting his report at a press conference near Stafford, said: "I heard so many stories of shocking care. These patients were not simply numbers, they were husbands, wives, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, grandparents.

"They were people who entered Stafford Hospital and rightly expected to be well cared for and treated.

"Instead many suffered horrific experiences that will haunt them and their loved ones for the rest of their lives."

He said evidence gathered during the inquiry into events at the trust between January 2005 and March 2009 had shown clearly that for many patients the most basic elements of care were neglected.

Patients were left unwashed, at times for up to a month, and food and drinks were left out of reach of patients, the inquiry found.

Mr Francis also identified a chronic shortage of staff, particularly nurses, as being largely responsible for the sub-standard care give to patients.

He also said that while many staff did their best in difficult circumstances, others showed a disturbing lack of compassion to patients.

Mr Francis said: "The evidence gathered by this inquiry means there can no longer be any excuses for denying the scale of failure.

"If anything, it is greater than has been revealed to date.

"People must always come before numbers. Individual patients and their treatment are what really matters."

Health Secretary Andy Burnham said today: "This was an appalling failure at every level of the hospital to ensure patients received the care and compassion they deserved. There can be no excuses for this.

"I am accepting all of the recommendations in full."

He added: "This was ultimately a local failure, but it is vital that we learn the lessons nationally to ensure that it won't happen again - we expect everyone in the NHS to read the report and act on it.

"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."

Mr Francis recommended that the Department of Health launches an independent examination of how regulators and bodies such as strategic health authorities monitor hospitals, with the aim of learning lessons about how failing trusts are identified.

Today's report found patients were left in dirty bedding and were caused "considerable suffering, distress and embarrassment".

It said: "Requests for assistance to use a bedpan or to get to and from the toilet were not responded to.

"Patients were often left on commodes or in the toilet for far too long.

"They were also often left in sheets soiled with urine and faeces for considerable periods of time, which was especially distressing for those whose incontinence was caused by Clostridium difficile.

"Considerable suffering, distress and embarrassment were caused to patients as a result."

The inquiry also found that the attitude of some nurses "left much to be desired".

It added: "Some families felt obliged or were left to take soiled sheets home to wash or to change beds when this should have been undertaken by the hospital and its staff.

"Some staff were dismissive of the needs of patients and their families."

Posted by: Andrew on March 15, 2010 01:24 PM

 

Confirmation of state of Dudley’s Russells Hall Hospital

October 21, 2009 11:30 am
Outrage over filthy wards

Blood stains, dirty floors and soiled mattresses were found at a Black Country hospital during an NHS inspection, it was revealed today.

Blood stains, dirty floors and soiled mattresses were found at a Black Country hospital during an NHS inspection, it was revealed today.

The emergency assessment unit at Dudley’s Russells Hall Hospital was branded “exceptionally unclean” by inspectors from NHS regulator the Care Quality Commission.

New details emerged today of the conditions found on wards, which led to the hospital’s service to patients being criticised.

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2009/10/21/outrage-over-filthy-wards/