'No improvement at hospital'

A pair of Wolverhampton sisters, whose mother died in Stafford Hospital the day after the publication of a damning report, claim care at the beleaguered hospital has not improved.

Judy Cheatle and Jayne Secker say they are still too angry to grieve for 73-year-old Margaret Overbury, of Somerset Avenue, Rugeley, who died on Thursday - eight days after being admitted with a chest infection.

Jayne, of First Avenue, Low Hill, said their experience had been a nightmare and the standard of care had been "appalling."

Judy, of Birmingham New Road, said they had been unaware that the Healthcare Commission was poised to release a report slating the standards of care at Stafford Hospital and they had been horrified to discover at least 400 people could have died needlessly over the previous four years. Jayne said they had been visiting their mother, who was suffering from lung cancer and was receiving chemotherapy, every day up to her death on Ward 12 on Thursday morning.

She said they had no criticism of the care on that ward but her care in the emergency assessment unit over the previous week had been "atrocious."

The sisters say the family is planning to make an official complaint to the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

"On the Tuesday she was admitted we were with her for six hours and no one came to see her. She was screaming out in pain, but was not given morphine" said Jayne. She said her mother had been scared to go to the toilet on her own and they had had to help her.

"During the whole time we were there we were asking to see a doctor and never got to see one even though her stomach had swollen up and she was hallucinating. We wanted answers and didn't get them."

Jayne said they felt their mother was shown no dignity or respect.

Stafford MP David Kidney today said he was concerned things had not improved. "The facts are there in front of us. Following the focus on Stafford Hospital I have had two more letters saying things are not any better."