Evening Standard defends NHS story

Three families have complained about the Whittington hospital

The Evening Standard is standing by its story of the neglect of 94-year-old woman, who it claims was left for three days in a hospital casualty department.

In a statement, the newspaper said: "We reported on Monday the case of 94-year-old Rose Addis, who spent three days in a Casualty ward of Whittington Hospital following a fall at home which badly cut her head.

"The Health Secretary described our story as 'fiction'.

"Yet he failed to refute the specific complaints when asked to by this newspaper.

"At no stage has anyone from the Department of Health contacted the family.

"It was the family of Rose Addis who had first approached us with their complaint."

'More families'

The statement continued: "Subsequently three other families have contacted us with similar concerns, endorsing our coverage of very detailed complaints against the Whittington.

"While appreciating the pressures on NHS staff and the dedicated work many do, we believe it is important to report accurately when the treatment of patients is not as it should be.

"Our reporting of the Rose Addis case has been entirely accurate."