Hospital Mortality Rates

Andrew Stephenson Excerpts

Tuesday 16th July 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

We do need to draw those lessons, and the sad lesson from this afternoon is that that change in culture with respect to transparency and accountability does not extend to the Labour party. Voters will notice how unwilling Labour Members are to accept that things went wrong on their patch.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

Given what today’s report says about capacity issues at Blackburn hospital, and that the hospital is struggling to deal with the number of patients, serious questions again have to be asked about the decision to downgrade Burnley hospital’s accident and emergency department under the previous Government in 2007, which was consistently supported by the shadow Secretary of State when he was in office. Will my right hon. Friend visit Pendle to meet some of the affected families to reassure them that lessons have been learned from the mistakes of the past?

[Mr Hunt]

I will be delighted to visit my hon. Friend’s hospital, as well as those of many colleagues. I am sure I will learn a great deal when I do so.