Hospital inquiry 'may hit morale'
A public inquiry into standards of care at Stafford Hospital would demoralise staff, according to a senior hospital boss.
Mike Gill, deputy chief executive at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, told members of Cannock Chase Council's scrutiny committee that there were both positives and negatives to a public inquiry being held.
He was at the council last night to deliver a presentation on the 101-point £12 million action plan to improve Stafford Hospital after the damning Healthcare Commission report back in March.
After being quizzed over whether the trust had a view on the public inquiry issue, Mr Gill said: "The board has not expressed a view as it is not our decision to make."
But he added: "We think there are some benefits to the idea of a public inquiry in terms of putting right the balance of some of the things that have been reported. But there are negatives, particularly about the distraction factor. The thought of going through a public inquiry would be quite demoralising for staff and we think what they need to do is look forward."
Mr Gill told the committee the hospital was well placed to improve now after having experts go through the trust in minute detail but he accepted the hospital had lost its reputation.
He said: "Everything we say we know people won't believe – we have lost our reputation and people's confidence but the only way we will get it back is by being good at our job."
Councillors heard that the trust now had a below average mortality rate compared with being way above the national average in 2008.
He said the trust had recruited 39 registered nurses since April with 16 vacancies still to fill and recruitment continuing.
