A secret report obtained by the Express & Star has shed new light on the scandal at Stafford Hospital and the role of former hospital boss Martin Yeates.

Released under the Freedom of Information Act, the report into the conduct of former chief executive Mr Yeates blames him for a series of failures, errors and misjudgements during the time patient care was so bad.

But its release by Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust has also sparked anger after a number of key sections were removed, the trust claims, to protect personal information.

The document, written by former civil servant Peter Garland, paints the picture of a hospital whose management, in a bid to balance the books and hit targets, made major cuts in nursing staff without considering how this could affect patients.

This happened in an environment where senior bosses were not challenged and the board of directors were given misleading information. Against a backdrop of poor governance and bosses who failed to see the reality of the shocking death rates, the hospital’s standards continued to fall, according to the report.

Mr Yeates, who was formerly director of care services for Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust, has never spoken publicly about what happened at the hospital after he “stepped aside” from his role just days before the damning Healthcare Commission report came out.

He was then suspended on full pay while the investigation by Mr Garland was carried out. He finally resigned before he could be disciplined, receiving £80,000 notice pay and a pension payout.

In his report, Mr Garland believed cuts in staffing in 2006 were not properly assessed for their impact.

He added: “This was a serious omission and meant the decisions made were based on incomplete information.

“The chief executive and board should have been aware nurse staffing levels were already low in many areas.”