Beleagured Stafford Hospital wins call for support

A village postmistress today called for people to get behind Stafford Hospital, praising the standard of care and professionalism of staff who nursed her late father-in-law.

Gill Ashton says the inquiry which has put the hospital under national scrutiny, has affected staff morale and the chances of recruiting consultants. She thinks the hospital has been getting "dreadful" publicity.

John Ashton died nearly two weeks ago after a 15-year battle with Parkinson's Disease.

The 89-year-old was regularly treated at the Weston Road hospital for pneumonia and other side-effects.

His daughter-in-law, who runs Brocton post office in Pool Lane, Brocton, near Stafford, said staff could not have done more.

"Several years ago it was a different story but things have changed at Stafford Hospital. In the last four years his care was marvellous.

"We used the A&E department a lot because we often had to take him in at night. The care from staff there, and in the acute medical unit and ward 12, has been outstanding."

Mrs Ashton, 52, said her mother-in-law and her parents had also been benefited from good care at the hospital and she had been successfully treated for breast cancer there.

She and husband Mike are backing the Support Stafford Hospital campaign which is seeking to reinstate a 24-hour emergency unit.

They have collected 20,000 signatures for a petition which they will take to Downing Street.

"The publicity the hospital has been getting has been dreadful," said Mrs Ashton. "I don't know how the staff have managed to work in those conditions."

Cheryl Porter, 48, also of Brocton, and one of the co-founders of the campaign group, said a Christmas tree had been bought for the hospital foyer where supporters could attach messages of thanks for staff.

"We acknowledge the past but it's time to move forward," she said. "The hospital did so well in the Foster report published last week. We want to highlight this and other good things about the hospital."