Authors discuss hospital failings

Patients and relatives affected by failings at Stafford Hospital are being met by two experts who carried out an investigation in what went wrong there.

Professor Sir George Alberti and Dr David Colin-Thome's reports in April found that while things had improved more work needed to be done.

A Healthcare Commission report said patients died as a result of "appalling" care at the hospital.

The meeting is being held in Trinity Church, Mount Street.

Professor Alberti's report said while £3.8m had been invested in new staff, recruitment and training in the past 12 months, there were still shortages in surgeons and nurses at the hospital.

'Significant suggestions'

It also said there was not enough equipment in some cases while bed occupancy was too high in places.

Dr Colin-Thome's report found organisations did not do enough after the hospital stopped reporting patient complaints.

The meeting in Stafford has been organised by the town's MP David Kidney.

He said: "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."

The meeting with patients and relatives was due to be followed by a public meeting.