Hospital's emergency care probed

June Harriman's death prompted the inquiry, the BBC understands

A hospital has suspended its application for foundation trust status pending an inquiry into three "serious untoward incidents".

The inquiry at University Hospital North Staffordshire began after the death of June Harriman, 52, in January, the BBC understands.

Her family said she died from a brain haemorrhage after waiting nine hours for treatment in A&E.

The hospital would not give details of the three incidents being investigated.

It refused to comment on Mrs Harriman's family's claims, saying it could not comment on individual patients.

Internal inquiry

The family, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, said hospital staff failed to diagnose a brain bleed until she suffered a much worse attack while still waiting to be seen in A&E.

Her daughter Sharon Whistone said: "If she had been seen when she arrived in A&E rather than waiting for nine hours for treatment she would have been here, I'm sure of that."

The hospital said it had suspended its application to become a foundation trust, which is the government's seal of approval for hospitals that are judged to be responsive to patients' needs.

The inquiry is being held by the hospital trust and Stoke-on-Trent Primary Care Trust.

It said the inquiry would look into patient treatment at the hospital's A&E department, incidents of bed blocking and staffing levels.

'Untoward incidents'

The hospital's clinical leader Dr Magnus Harrison said the three incidents in January were a "rarity", but added: "It's not what I want. Absolutely not the kind of service I'd like to provide."

He said the hospital had taken measures to ensure that emergency patients were seen more rapidly.

He said: "We do a rapid emergency assessment now and care treatment package at the front door, you're seen by a senior doctor, registrar or consultant more or less immediately."

The hospital said in May 2008 it would deal with capacity problems for patients getting into A&E.

Its medical director Robert Courteney-Harris said on Monday that it was "in the same position at the moment".

He said the hospital had been working closely with local primary care trusts in the past three months to tackle the problem.

He said: "This isn't simply an issue about the A&E department it's also about the whole health economy so we're looking at admission avoidance and how they're dealt with when they come to A&E."

The hospital also said a recent Healthcare Commission survey had ranked it in the top 25% of hospitals nationwide for patients reporting that they had been treated with dignity and respect.