I have no regrets over Stafford Hospital scandal, says Andy Burnham

Mr Burnham appointed Robert Francis QC to find out went wrong at Stafford between 2005 and 2009, when hundreds of patients died needlessly and appalling standards of care were widespread.

However campaigners blame him for blocking the inquiry from being held in public – a decision that was reversed by the Tories – and for setting up a smaller and more limited investigation.

But in an interview with the Express & Star, the 43-year-old former health secretary defended his record.

He mounted a strong and passionate defence of his actions and said he believes his worst fears about the impact of a public inquiry on the hospital have come true – that it was not given enough support to get through the crisis and is now facing a multi-million pound downgrade.

Asked if there was anything he should have done differently, the answer is a firm and unequivocal 'no'.

"I look back and I'm absolutely clear about what I did and why I did it," Mr Burnham says.

"Within seven weeks of starting the job, I appointed Robert Francis. They – critics – say I wouldn't have a public inquiry. The Department of Health didn't want an inquiry. They said a long-running inquiry would take attention off improving the hospital and that it would be about defending reputations. They didn't think the hospital could survive a public inquiry.

"When I look at the state of the hospital today, I don't think I did the wrong thing."

Robert Francis had the power to call for it to be a public inquiry. Had he done so, Mr Burnham says he would have accepted that.

However, the decision was taken out of Mr Francis' hands when Labour lost the election because the then Tory health secretary Andrew Lansley upgraded the inquiry to a public one.

Stafford's accident and emergency department is now closed overnight. And, under proposals, a multi-million pound black hole will be plugged by transferring maternity services and child inpatients elsewhere. Cannock Chase Hospital, which is run by the same trust as Stafford, is set to be run by the trust in charge of Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital instead. It will cost £300 million to axe the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

"This government has used Stafford to run down the NHS and divert attention from what's happening", Mr Burnham says.