Campaigners' hopes on hospital inquiry

Campaigners from Cure the NHS are anxiously waiting to find out if a long-awaited public inquiry into the failings at Stafford Hospital will materialise.

The group was promised a full probe if the Conservatives take power by shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley when he met campaigners on the General Election campaign trail.

And they remain hopeful the mooted Conservative-Lib Dem coalition can deliver on that commitment.

Cure the NHS leader Julie Bailey said: "We don't know exactly where we are at the moment, but we are still hoping there will be a public inquiry, and we hope to hear quite soon if a Conservative-Lib Dem coalition materialises.

"We met with Lib Dem health spokesman Norman Lamb and we are confident he wants a public inquiry as well."

Leaders of Cure the NHS met at the weekend to draft new terms of reference for a public inquiry, which they hope to present to the new health secretary shortly. During his visit to Stafford last month, Mr Lansley said any new probe could be extended to look outside the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust and take in the role of the police and the coroner.

Cure the NHS have also met with newly-installed Stafford Tory MP Jeremy Lefroy, who has already visited the hospital since defeating Labour's David Kidney on Thursday.

Mr Lefroy and incoming Cannock Chase Conservative MP Aidan Burley have promised to work together to help the scandal-hit hospital overcome its failings and the pair are understood to be planning a series of joint visits.

Mrs Bailey called on all the region's MPs, including Lichfield's Michael Fabricant and Bill Cash in Stone, to work together to help ensure that changes are made.

"We believe Aidan and Jeremy will avoid a cosy relationship with the trust and will be able to monitor the hospital efficiently," she said.

"But we want something wider than that.

"We are hoping they will take action as a group and be able to effectively monitor the hospital."