STAFFORD HOSPITAL REVIEWERS IN TOWN TO ANSWER QUESTIONS

 14 June 2009

David Kidney has arranged for Professor George Alberti and Dr. David Colin-Thome to attend a public meeting in Stafford. The meeting is on Wednesday 24 June at Trinity Church, Mount Street.

The two experts were each asked by the then-Health Secretary Alan Johnson to review what went wrong at Stafford hospital and what steps needed to be taken to put things right. They both produced written reports containing a number of recommendations. Professor Alberti is still involved in helping the hospital improve its services.

David Kidney says this meeting was promised Stafford by the Health Minister Ben Bradshaw MP during the Parliamentary debate David led on 1st April:

“There remains intense interest and concern in this area about how some of the hospital’s services were able to deteriorate so seriously without any part of the NHS picking up any warning signs. Some questions are best considered in the forum of an inquiry, but the reports of Professor Alberti and Dr. Colin-Thome contain some of the answers as well as significant suggestions for the future.

“I have arranged for the two men to come to Stafford together to meet patients and patients’ relatives as well as reporters so that their answers and suggestions can be explained. Those attending will be able to discuss the findings and recommendations of the two reports with the authors of the reports.”

The public meeting will be held in the main church hall from 3.15 pm until 4.45 pm. It will be preceded by a private meeting (2 pm until 3 pm) with the relatives of patients who died who would like to speak about their personal experiences in a less open forum.

The private meeting (A) is specifically for people who wish to discuss the treatment that they or their loved ones experienced. The media and general public are asked to stay away from this session to allow a degree of privacy and sensitivity.

The public meeting is open to everyone who wishes to attend and the media are welcome to film, record and take part in the discussion.

It would be helpful if you could let me know if you plan to attend so that I can be sure we do not exceed a safe capacity for the rooms. please Contact me if you wish to come.

The hospital trust has now published its “transformation programme”, its response to the Healthcare Commission’s report. You can view it at http://www.midstaffs.nhs.uk/aboutUs/corporate/publications/ or ask the trust for a summary of it or the full document.

You will find a great deal more information about the Hospital here on this site.

You can also influence the trust’s plans by joining the hospital trust as a member; seeking to join the trust’s governing council; join the public’s watchdog Staffordshire LINK and/or keeping in touch with me.