Following the publication of the Healthcare Commission’s report into the
Mid Staffordshire Hospital, Michael Fabricant says: "I am shocked and
appalled at this damning report. I fear that some of my constituents
may have died needlessly in this Hospital. Some years ago, an ambulance
paramedic advised me that in life threatening cases, it was safer to go
the Queen’s Hospital in Burton rather than Stafford. Despite Stafford
not being my constituency, I took this up at the time, but was advised
there wasn’t a problem at this Hospital. It is particularly worrying
that the blind pursuit of Government targets was a major contributory
cause to this. The Health Secretary was warned about this by a series
of Conservative Shadow Health Ministers but they were ignored".

Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley says: "The public will be
rightly shocked by the poor standards of care exposed at this Hospital.
It is unacceptable that the pursuit of targets – not the safety of
patients – was repeatedly prioritised, alongside endless managerial
change and a ‘closed’ culture, which failed to admit and deal with
things going wrong.

"While the standards at Mid Staffordshire between 2005 and 2008 are not
typical of the NHS, and the Trust is taking remedial action, the
Government can learn from the mistakes.

"First, every NHS organisation must focus on outcomes for patients,
including safety of care and the quality of care. Organisational
changes, financial pressures and Government-imposed targets have all
diverted management away from that focus.

"Secondly, we have to use the data on outcomes actively to investigate
where results are poor. The purchasers of services on behalf of patients
must be active in ensuring the quality care of their patients.

"And thirdly, staff – both clinical and managerial – must be trained and
equipped to deliver the care patients have a right to expect. Resources
must not be consumed in bureaucracy and administration; they have to get
to the frontline".