Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust

Lord Astor of Hever Excerpts

Wednesday 9th June 2010 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Knight of Collingtree]

My Lords, I believe that it is our side’s turn.

[Lord Astor of Hever]

My Lords, there is plenty of time for both sides. I think that it is this side’s turn.

[Baroness Knight of Collingtree]

My Lords, I shall be brief. I have never felt so much gratitude towards a Minister as I feel at this moment. He has created a first in my parliamentary life. Never before in 44 years have I had the requests placed so clearly in a speech met six days later: care for patients, an understanding that non-medical people are not always the people to make decisions, and safeguarding what whistleblowers have to say. In fact, there were other hospitals—Maidstone and several others come to mind—where serious problems had arisen. I have raised such cases many times with dates and all details and had no answers given as to why patients were treated so badly. In the case of Stafford, the chief executive of that hospital, who had been in command for the whole of the time during which that terrible record was amassed, was then given a very senior position with as much responsibility elsewhere. Will the Minister look at that, because we must safeguard patients, wherever they may be?