Quality of doctors' training under fire

The former chief medical officer for England told the public inquiry into Stafford Hospital it was too easy for those at the top of the NHS to forget about "real people."

Sir Liam Donaldson, who was the country's most senior doctor for 12 years, also claimed training of doctors and nurses has been "completely" lacking in quality and safety teaching.

He called for a better culture of care in the NHS and described how pressures of the "modern care environment" left some doctors and nurses "inured to suffering."

He also claimed the scandal at the Mid Staffordshire Trust could be a reflection of how society saw older people generally.

Sir Liam, who gave evidence to the inquiry yesterday, said it was "vital" nurses and doctors "see a person as a person and not just a diseased object to be processed."

He added it would "reduce the risk of another Mid Staffordshire type disaster" if patients and families were involved in the running of hospitals.

Inquiry chairman Robert Francis QC asked him: "Do you think it's too easy at the higher echelons in the civil service and the NHS, for people to forget the effect of what is happening on real people?"

He replied: "I absolutely agree with that, and that's why I tried to bring patient experience into the equation."

Sir Liam, a senior civil servant within the Department of Health, described how he had to fight to get quality and safety on the agenda.

He told the inquiry the issue was not on the radar of the NHS until after scandals in the 1990s and that financial objectives were given priority.

During his time in the department Sir Liam said he had become concerned at the changes brought in by the Labour Government with regulators not having enough cash to inspect hospitals properly.

He also told the inquiry that targets were important for improving patient experience but he said they "had the effect of locking" up resources.