Mid-Staffordshire: Where Are The Doctors?

Patients die in 'third-world' hospital
The headline in The Independent, 17 March 2009

"If patients were dying shouldn’t the doctors be there to save their lives?"

So The Cockroach Catcher asked the most naïve of questions and I am sure the answers are somewhere at Jobbing Doctor:

……“You haven't listened to doctors who pointed out failings. Look what the establishment did to Dr Rita Pal. Just read militant nurse Anne. I'll wager that there are trusts up and down the country just like Mid-Staffordshire.”……

Or Dr Crippen:

……“Allowing this appalling lack of care to continue should be grounds for disciplinary proceedings against any doctor who was involved. So why did the Staffordshire doctors not complain? Once upon a time, one of them did. A courageous doctor then working in a hospital a few miles away in North Staffordshire NHS Trust complained about the appalling medical care she had witnessed in her hospital. Look what happened to her. She was treated by the GMC in the way that Stalin used to treat political dissidents, including being accused of being mentally ill.”……

But perhaps the GMC knew something was not right with NHS hospitals as they all have full PPP Health Insurance.

“Previous medical conditions are covered under the scheme? What kind of premium do you have to pay to insure your house once the fire had started?Having stuffed their faces with roast swan and swilled their 1961 clarets, our masters at the GMC must be relieved to know that they can have their heart attacks in a private, HCP free hospital, rather than having to mix it with the common folk in an NHS hospital.” Dr Crippen.

From the Independent:

“Between 400 and 1,200 more people died than would have been expected in a three-year period, the head of the investigation for the Healthcare Commission said.

“Families have described ‘Third World’ conditions at the trust, with some patients drinking water from vases because they were so thirsty and others screaming in pain.

“The Commission launched an inquiry after concerns were raised about higher than normal death rates in emergency care, in particular at Stafford Hospital.

“The trust argued the anomalies were due to ‘problems with its recording of data and not problems with the quality of care for patients’, the report said.”

How creative, perhaps they should help save the banking crises.

“The investigation found heart monitors were turned off on wards because nurses did not know how to use them and some patients were left dehydrated because nurses did not know how to work intravenous fluid systems properly.”

Where were the junior doctors, perhaps they were all suspended?! And the consultants?!

“The report also found that the Government's target for patients to be seen within four hours at A&E meant patients could be taken to ‘dumping grounds’ to avoid breaching the target.”

Poor managers, trying to save £10 million, meet four hour targets and a whole range of other ones on a £120 million Annual budget all set by central government.

“Chief Executive Martin Yeates, stepped down and has now been formally suspended on full pay, while chairman, Toni Brisby, resigned.”

On full pay!!! No details of compensation and no charges either reported!!!

In Japan, the Health Minister would at least go to the Emperor and offer to have his little finger chopped off.

"Between 400 to 1200 patients died unnecessary and that is only at this Trust."
This surely is culpable homicide. What about other trusts?
You will need to read the details in The Independent here.

The official report is here. I wonder what the cost of the whole report is including all the legal representations of all the parties concerned. Money is again diverted from direct health care to lawyers and others as with child abuse enquiries over the years.

The Climbie enquiry: a cool £3.8 million.

Jobbing Doctor thought:
“Isn't it time for the bottle of whisky and the pearly-handled revolver?”

He is naïve too like The Cockroach Catcher. Whisky, yes they drink a lot at the Westminster bars; but revolver, I don’t think so.

Leading Article: The Independent