Jeremy Hunt Reveals Scandal-Hit Trust Will Be Dissolved

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has confirmed that Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust will be broken up.

The trust has been heavily criticised for numerous scandals surrounding the quality of care offered to patients and Stafford and Cannock Chase Hospitals will now be governed by neighbouring trusts.

On announcing the news, Mr Hunt said: "Local people suffered too much for too long under a system which ignored appalling failures of care in their local hospital."

He added that these measures would ensure patients receive a far higher standard of care.

The announcement should partially appease campaigners who had feared Stafford Hospital - which has come under scrutiny for its high death rates in recent years - would be closed down altogether.

Up to 1,200 people were found to have died unnecessarily while being treated at the hospital between 2005 and 2008. The trust has also been plagued by financial difficulties in the past few years and the government had been warned that it was no longer financially viable to keep it running.

However, Mr Hunt added that the trust's staff should be commended, as they have done a good job of improving the quality of care given to patients in recent months.

"[They] have continued to provide quality services in the face of great uncertainty about the trust's future," he continued.

The health secretary confirmed that local commissioners, health groups and organisations would now work with NHS England over the coming months and years to implement the proposed changes.

Maggie Oldham, chief executive at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, said she hopes Mr Hunt's announcement will provide hospital staff with assurances that they will still play a leading role in the provision of healthcare in the county.

"Mid Staffs has come a long way over the past few years and I am very proud of all of our staff and what they have achieved," she remarked.

Ms Oldham added that the news will not affect patients who have booked appointments at Cannock Chase or Stafford Hospital, as work is continuing as usual.

Expert Opinion

This is an important step in terms of moving forward from the numerous scandals the Mid Staffordshire Trust has been involved in. <br/> <br/>“It is encouraging to hear that patient safety, treatment standards and general facilities have improved and hopefully this will continue when services are under the supervision of other trusts. <br/> <br/>“We work with people on a daily basis who have been affected by poor or substandard care through NHS facilities and it is important that lessons are learned from this scandal and that patient care and wellbeing is never compromised in the future.” <br/> Lisa Jordan - Partner