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| Stafford hospital victims' families say report does not go far enough | Stafford hospital victims' families say report does not go far enough |
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| Sue Williams-Ashford, whose husband Ernie Ashford died at Stafford hospital in August 2008, was unimpressed by Robert Francis's verdict and recommendations. | Sue Williams-Ashford, whose husband Ernie Ashford died at Stafford hospital in August 2008, was unimpressed by Robert Francis's verdict and recommendations. |
| "I think some of the recommendations are somewhat pathetic," she said. "Zero tolerance in patient care should be a given, and I think his recommendation that people could be made criminals as a result of actions they have taken could be very dubious. It could have a detrimental effect on recruitment to the health service." | "I think some of the recommendations are somewhat pathetic," she said. "Zero tolerance in patient care should be a given, and I think his recommendation that people could be made criminals as a result of actions they have taken could be very dubious. It could have a detrimental effect on recruitment to the health service." |
| As for a new system of inspection for hospitals: "Throwing money at something is not always a solution. You need the right management in place, the right executives in place. Leadership comes from the top." | As for a new system of inspection for hospitals: "Throwing money at something is not always a solution. You need the right management in place, the right executives in place. Leadership comes from the top." |
| Common sense was what was needed to put matters right, she said. At Stafford, if executives "had got off their backsides and walked round a few wards, they might have realised what was going on". | Common sense was what was needed to put matters right, she said. At Stafford, if executives "had got off their backsides and walked round a few wards, they might have realised what was going on". |
| Others whose families suffered demanded tougher action. | Others whose families suffered demanded tougher action. |
| "We are still looking for resignations," said Julie Bailey, a founder of patient and family group Cure the NHS whose mother Bella died at Stafford hospital. Sir David Nicholson – now the NHS in England's chief executive, but the regional head at the time of the Mid Staffs scandal – should go, she said. "We are not scapegoating anybody but the man at the top of the NHS has not got the leadership skills to take this report forward. We don't want a bully at the top of this organisation." She also called for the head of Peter Carter, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing. | "We are still looking for resignations," said Julie Bailey, a founder of patient and family group Cure the NHS whose mother Bella died at Stafford hospital. Sir David Nicholson – now the NHS in England's chief executive, but the regional head at the time of the Mid Staffs scandal – should go, she said. "We are not scapegoating anybody but the man at the top of the NHS has not got the leadership skills to take this report forward. We don't want a bully at the top of this organisation." She also called for the head of Peter Carter, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing. |
| The Patients Association chief executive, Katherine Murphy, said Francis had "recognised what we hear on our helpline every day – too many parts of the NHS have lost their way and forgotten that care and compassion should be at the heart of what staff do. He wants to give nursing a powerful voice. He wants the ward sister back in charge and we welcome that. | The Patients Association chief executive, Katherine Murphy, said Francis had "recognised what we hear on our helpline every day – too many parts of the NHS have lost their way and forgotten that care and compassion should be at the heart of what staff do. He wants to give nursing a powerful voice. He wants the ward sister back in charge and we welcome that. |
| "The concept of a registered older people's nurse is a great idea and should be wholeheartedly pursued. Whilst he recognises it will take some time to implement, he has seen that there can be no other option but to regulate healthcare assistants. The government has been wrong to resist this idea." | "The concept of a registered older people's nurse is a great idea and should be wholeheartedly pursued. Whilst he recognises it will take some time to implement, he has seen that there can be no other option but to regulate healthcare assistants. The government has been wrong to resist this idea." |
| Williams-Ashford said her husband had appeared "one of the fittest men I knew". What had started as a check-up visit to his GP in early July because of blood in his urine ended in his death on a mixed-sex oncology ward less than two months later, a victim of what she said were mistakes before and after surgery, "off-hand" care (apart from two clinical care nurses) from A&E onwards, and no room in intensive care. | Williams-Ashford said her husband had appeared "one of the fittest men I knew". What had started as a check-up visit to his GP in early July because of blood in his urine ended in his death on a mixed-sex oncology ward less than two months later, a victim of what she said were mistakes before and after surgery, "off-hand" care (apart from two clinical care nurses) from A&E onwards, and no room in intensive care. |
| When the 65-year-old equestrian course builder saw a consultant within days of being referred, the doctor said: "Mr Ashford, you have bowel cancer," Williams-Ashford recalls. "I thought that was a bit direct. He could have said: 'You might have' or 'I think you have.'" | When the 65-year-old equestrian course builder saw a consultant within days of being referred, the doctor said: "Mr Ashford, you have bowel cancer," Williams-Ashford recalls. "I thought that was a bit direct. He could have said: 'You might have' or 'I think you have.'" |
| She was later to wish other staff had acted and spoken so directly. By mid-August, Ernie had had a colostomy. When he left hospital to go home, "he was told everything was fine. It was a very low-grade cancer, there was no reason for chemotherapy or further treatment, and they said the colostomy could be reversed by Christmas," said Williams-Ashford who, like her husband, has adult children by a previous marriage. "A registrar said to me: 'We will see him again in six weeks at outpatients.'" | She was later to wish other staff had acted and spoken so directly. By mid-August, Ernie had had a colostomy. When he left hospital to go home, "he was told everything was fine. It was a very low-grade cancer, there was no reason for chemotherapy or further treatment, and they said the colostomy could be reversed by Christmas," said Williams-Ashford who, like her husband, has adult children by a previous marriage. "A registrar said to me: 'We will see him again in six weeks at outpatients.'" |
| At home, however, his condition deteriorated and, after he vomited violently and nearly collapsed four days after leaving hospital, his wife drove him to A&E. He never went home again. | At home, however, his condition deteriorated and, after he vomited violently and nearly collapsed four days after leaving hospital, his wife drove him to A&E. He never went home again. |
| Williams-Ashford said that on the night her husband died he implored her: "Please don't go, please don't leave me." She said she told him: "I will be back first thing in the morning" and walked out. | Williams-Ashford said that on the night her husband died he implored her: "Please don't go, please don't leave me." She said she told him: "I will be back first thing in the morning" and walked out. |
| She was called back to the hospital at 3.55am the next morning, and it later transpired, she says, that Ashford had not been seen by staff after 9pm the previous evening, about an hour after she had left him. | She was called back to the hospital at 3.55am the next morning, and it later transpired, she says, that Ashford had not been seen by staff after 9pm the previous evening, about an hour after she had left him. |
| At an inquest in May 2009, the verdict was accidental death but Williams-Ashford said she had already been advised by the coroner's office after the postmortem to take legal advice. | At an inquest in May 2009, the verdict was accidental death but Williams-Ashford said she had already been advised by the coroner's office after the postmortem to take legal advice. |
| Thanks to that, she said, she found staff had failed to correctly prepare her husband for treatment before his first surgery, which meant he ate beforehand. She said he should have been warned not to, as his bowel had to be empty to prevent the risk of perforation and fluids leaking into the body. Nor had he been monitored appropriately. | Thanks to that, she said, she found staff had failed to correctly prepare her husband for treatment before his first surgery, which meant he ate beforehand. She said he should have been warned not to, as his bowel had to be empty to prevent the risk of perforation and fluids leaking into the body. Nor had he been monitored appropriately. |
| "Basically what had happened was that after the first operation, they hadn't sewn him back properly. He had developed septicaemia and then had organ failure. I have since discovered he should have been in intensive care. But they didn't have any beds available and they did nothing to find a bed anywhere else." | "Basically what had happened was that after the first operation, they hadn't sewn him back properly. He had developed septicaemia and then had organ failure. I have since discovered he should have been in intensive care. But they didn't have any beds available and they did nothing to find a bed anywhere else." |
| The hospital trust did not accept liability but came to a financial settlement for an undisclosed sum. | The hospital trust did not accept liability but came to a financial settlement for an undisclosed sum. |
| "It was not about money. I wanted someone to admit they had messed it up and that their care was sadly lacking," she said. "I felt I had won a moral victory because they had paid me compensation." | "It was not about money. I wanted someone to admit they had messed it up and that their care was sadly lacking," she said. "I felt I had won a moral victory because they had paid me compensation." |
| • This article was amended on 11 February 2013 to clarify that the statement that Ashford's 'bowel had to be empty to prevent the risk of perforation and fluids leaking into the body' was made by his widow. A doctor has contacted the Guardian stating that 'patients are asked not to eat or drink prior to an operation to reduce the risk of aspiration of stomach contents during a general anaesthetic. A bowel preparation would be used for the purposes of creating an empty bowel prior to colorectal surgery.' | • This article was amended on 11 February 2013 to clarify that the statement that Ashford's 'bowel had to be empty to prevent the risk of perforation and fluids leaking into the body' was made by his widow. A doctor has contacted the Guardian stating that 'patients are asked not to eat or drink prior to an operation to reduce the risk of aspiration of stomach contents during a general anaesthetic. A bowel preparation would be used for the purposes of creating an empty bowel prior to colorectal surgery.' |
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