Health group in plea for public inquiry to be held

The Cure the NHS group in Stafford today demanded a public inquiry over the deaths at the town's hospital.

Group founder Julie Bailey said:"As relatives of the patients who have died in Stafford Hospital over the last few years we all know that the Healthcare Commission's report leaves many questions unanswered.

"It looked at what happened but not the reasons why.

"For all of us and for all NHS patients now and in the future we need to learn all of the lessons from Stafford Hospital.

"We demand a full statutory inquiry in order to compel witnesses to appear and to answer questions on oath. Because the Healthcare Commission has done so much preliminary investigation the timescale can be shorter than normally and it will, anyway, be an excellent investment in the future healthcare of everyone.

"The number of deaths involved is very large and they continue."

Yesterday Stone MP Bill Cash gave his support to the growing calls for a public inquiry and today Stafford MP David Kidney also added his support.

Mrs Bailey said that an inquiry needed to address a number of questions - including exactly how many deaths have there been and why did Health Secretary Alan Johnson and his predecessors fail to prevent these deaths?

Her group want to see a proper patient safety system in the NHS to prevent deaths in future and a system to guarantee that all staff deliver patient safety, care, dignity and respect every minute of every day and night to every single patient

Mrs Bailey said: "We demand the full statutory public inquiry for the sake of the loved ones we lost and for all patients in the NHS who have been let down by poor care.

"We demand to know what really happened and why. It must never happen again."