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| Hospital's trust status defended | Hospital's trust status defended |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A regulator has said it would not have awarded Foundation status to a hospital with "appalling" emergency care had it known it was being investigated. | |
| NHS watchdogs said Staffordshire General Hospital put the bid for Foundation status ahead of patient care and up to 400 people died needlessly. | NHS watchdogs said Staffordshire General Hospital put the bid for Foundation status ahead of patient care and up to 400 people died needlessly. |
| The Healthcare Commission said Monitor, which approved the bid, had not asked if there were concerns about the trust. | |
| Health Secretary Alan Johnson is due to to make a Commons statement later. | Health Secretary Alan Johnson is due to to make a Commons statement later. |
| He has already apologised to patients and families and launched an inquiry. | He has already apologised to patients and families and launched an inquiry. |
| High death rate | High death rate |
| Managers at Mid Staffordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have meanwhile pledged to review 3,200 patient cases in the accident and emergency department. | Managers at Mid Staffordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have meanwhile pledged to review 3,200 patient cases in the accident and emergency department. |
| The trust's chairman Toni Brisby resigned ahead of the report and chief executive Martin Yeates is suspended on full pay pending an inquiry. FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme | |
| The Healthcare Commission said it began investigating the hospital, in Stafford, in April 2008 after complaints from residents were backed up by statistics showing a high death rate. | |
| William Moyes, chairman of Monitor, which regulates Foundation trusts, said it had not been aware of complaints when it considered the trust's application. | |
| It approved Foundation Status for the trust in February 2008 when the Healthcare Commission had already received seven alerts. | |
| Mr Moyes said: "Nothing was drawn to our attention at the time. | |
| "We talked to a lot of people and we asked for a lot of expert opinion and no-one suggested to us at the time that there was anything other than a problem with the way deaths were coded at the hospital. | "We talked to a lot of people and we asked for a lot of expert opinion and no-one suggested to us at the time that there was anything other than a problem with the way deaths were coded at the hospital. |
| "It's an appalling report and I don't for a minute minimise it." | "It's an appalling report and I don't for a minute minimise it." |
| Mr Moyes said that had the regulator been aware of the hospital's failings, or the fact that the Healthcare Commission was planning an investigation, it would have "paused and made sure that these failings were rectified before we proceeded with the assessment". | Mr Moyes said that had the regulator been aware of the hospital's failings, or the fact that the Healthcare Commission was planning an investigation, it would have "paused and made sure that these failings were rectified before we proceeded with the assessment". |
| He added: "But we've put in new leadership and I'm absolutely confident that the new leadership will turn the hospital around." | He added: "But we've put in new leadership and I'm absolutely confident that the new leadership will turn the hospital around." |
| 'Dumping grounds' | 'Dumping grounds' |
| He said the trust's new chairman would consider whether Mr Yeates would face disciplinary action following the highly critical report. | He said the trust's new chairman would consider whether Mr Yeates would face disciplinary action following the highly critical report. |
| The report said there were deficiencies at "virtually every stage" of emergency care at the hospital. | The report said there were deficiencies at "virtually every stage" of emergency care at the hospital. |
| One of the worst examples of care cited in the watchdog's report was the use of receptionists to carry out initial checks on patients. | One of the worst examples of care cited in the watchdog's report was the use of receptionists to carry out initial checks on patients. |
| Some patients were left in pain or needing the toilet, sat in soiled bedding for several hours at a time and were not given their regular medication, the investigation found. | Some patients were left in pain or needing the toilet, sat in soiled bedding for several hours at a time and were not given their regular medication, the investigation found. |
| Heart monitors were turned off on wards because nurses did not know how to use them and some patients were left dehydrated because nurses did not know how to work intravenous fluid systems properly. | Heart monitors were turned off on wards because nurses did not know how to use them and some patients were left dehydrated because nurses did not know how to work intravenous fluid systems properly. |
| The report also found that the government's target for patients to be seen within four hours at A&E meant patients could be taken to "dumping grounds" to avoid breaching the target. | The report also found that the government's target for patients to be seen within four hours at A&E meant patients could be taken to "dumping grounds" to avoid breaching the target. |