Spot checks at hospitals

Electronic trackers and spot checks are to be used at the troubled Stafford and Cannock hospitals to boost the criticised standards of care.

Stafford Hospital in particular has come under fire in recent months from the newly-formed Cure the NHS action group for poor levels of care and high death rates.

The Healthcare Commission's recently-published NHS Inpatient Survey put the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospitals, among the lowest-performing 20 per cent nationally by 34 out of the survey's 50 questions.

The report found people unhappy in such areas as cleanliness, privacy, patient dignity and A&E admissions.

Trust chief executive Martin Yeates said it had resulted in a new approach with greater patient involvement and investment in staffing. This will see 80 more nurses on the wards in the next few months."I am sorry that the level of care for some of our patients has in the past not reached the highest standards possible. This is unacceptable and we are working hard to ensure that all of the feedback we have been given is being used to build services in which we can all be proud," he said. "Gaining feedback from patients is vital if we are to continue to improve and we take every comment very seriously."

The trust is launching the Patient Experience Tracker (PET) system - a handheld, electronic device - that will help to test, patients' opinions about services and the care they receive. The trust is recruiting volunteers who will be trained in carrying out the PET surveys at patients' bedsides. A team of inspectors will be carrying out surprise checks on departments.

Cure the NHS, launched by families unhappy with treatment received, is still urging people to contact the Healthcare Commission with their experiences. The Commission is investigating a high death rate at Stafford.