RadioTimes  9 RadioTimes

‘Stafford Hospital:

The Review’

Stafford Hospital has been the source

of many discussions for the unethical

treatment and misconduct within the

NHS.

On the 26th  February 2014, the final decision

for Stafford Hospital was made public stating

that the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation

Trust is to be dissolved and key services will be

moved to neighbouring hospitals. This

Wednesday, Channel 4 premiers it’s new

documentary, Stafford Hospital: The Review.

Including exclusive interviews with Support

Stafford Hospital, Cure the NHS and the

authorities, making this documentary the one

to watch this week.

The Stafford Hospital scandal, as it is more

commonly known, has “highlighted absolutely

major problems with nursing and with the NHS

service in the UK”   Professor Linda Shields,

Director of Australia’s  Tropical Health

Research Unit (THRU). The case came to notice

when there were death rates that worked out

higher than the national average, estimated at

1,300 people. This documentary, directed by

Katherine Thomson and produced by Scott

Wakefield, will explore the events that have

took place at the Hospital and how it has

impacted the local community since the first

public inquiry in November 2010.

“We had 50,000 people march for

services in Stafford” 

What has this ‘scandal’ done to the

community? One of the questions the

documentary answers throughout and one that

the Support Stafford Hospital campaigners

answer thoroughly. As Sue Hawkins, Chair of

Support Stafford Hospital states; “We have

 good services at Stafford Hospital today. Good,

safe services and we feel that those are

necessary for our community”  

On the 20th April 2013 the community stood up

for its hospital with thousands of people

marching in opposition to the plans to

downgrade the hospital’s services. The

community continue to stand firmly behind the

cause “We’ve got to try – if you don’t try, no-one

will listen”   Jean Tabarner, member of the

community. Support Stafford Hospital

campaigners believe that it is important for

people to move on from what happened and to

look to the future. “The people of Stafford are

saying very clearly that our hospital and our

services matter very much to us.” Diana Smith,

Support Stafford Hospital campaigner.

Support Stafford Hospital has been raising

awareness of how Stafford needs it hospital in

many ways; the march was the beginning of

true recognition from the community.  “I don’t

think the hospital campaign really got

underway until we

had 50,000

 people

march for

services in

Stafford. I

think that

shows that

the community was firmly behind its hospital” ,

Rowan Draper, Support Stafford Hospital

Secretary.

The purpose of the initial inquiry was “to focus

not on went wrong but how it was allowed to go

on for so long” , Tom Kark QC, counsel to the

Mid-Staffs Public Inquiry. The final report was

published on 6th  February 2013, making 290

recommendations for the hospital. The

revelations of the abuse at Stafford hospital

were considered to be deeply shocking by the

mainstream media. “ Everybody was under the

impression, and many still are that Stafford was

the hospital where thousands died needlessly,

and that people drank water from flower vases.

Neither of those things is true”  Maurice Blisson,

Media Liaison Officer at Support Stafford

Hospital.

The documentary airs this Wednesday at 7:30

on Channel 4, and aims to put these rumours to

rest and focus on the facts.