Stafford Hospital inquiry cost £1.7m

Robert Francis QC made 18 recommendations in his report

An independent inquiry into "appalling" levels of care at Stafford Hospital cost taxpayers £1.7m, it has emerged.

Patients were neglected by staff and management were too focused on targets, Robert Francis QC said in his 900-page report last month.

The Healthcare Commission revealed the hospital's high death rate last year.

The government has defended the figure but Cure The NHS Campaigner Julie Bailey, who wants a public inquiry, said the report was a "waste of money".

She told BBC News: "The first thing the Department of Health - the government - said to us was a public inquiry would cost too much.

'Total waste'

"I believe that's a load of nonsense.

"We feel the expense is just a total waste of money because we have learned very little from this inquiry.

"The hospital themselves, the new chief executive, has learned very little from this inquiry to help him move forward and help him put in place improvements."

There were at least 400 more deaths than expected at the hospital between 2005 to 2008, the Healthcare Commission report said last March.

This latest investigation into what went wrong, which made 18 recommendations, took five months to compile but has not satisfied many relatives.

It highlighted "ineffective" management and the "uncaring attitude" of staff however, staff numbers were also said to be too low because Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust was trying to slash costs by £10m.

There will be another independent inquiry into how the hospital was given Foundation Status during the period in question.

A Freedom of Information request by BBC Radio Stoke revealed the inquiry spent £391,000 on consultants and £55,000 on stationery.

Safety 'strengthened'

Mr Francis and the three inquiry counsel who addressed witnesses shared £492,000 in fees and expenses.

A further £121,000 was spent on solicitors' fees, which included representation for witnesses, while the building the team were based at - on a business park in Stafford - cost £67,000. A further £37,000 was spent on accommodation and travel.

David Kidney, Labour MP for Stafford, said: "This vast expense on this inquiry for barristers and lawyers and premises and all the rest is just one more reason why I am so angry about what went wrong at Stafford Hospital."

In a statement, the Department of Health said the inquiry was necessary to "strengthen patient safety" in England.

A spokesman said: "We cannot put a price on patient safety in the NHS.

"The lessons that have been learnt from this report have allowed us to strengthen patient safety across the country, and we will continue to benefit from these lessons for many years to come.

"The importance we attach to the concerns of the families involved is also reflected in the cost, which includes their legal representation.

"It was essential the inquiry was appropriate, proportionate and that lessons would be learnt to prevent such issues happening again."