Angry scenes at Stafford Hospital meeting as 300 hear proposals

More than 300 people packed into the fourth consultation meeting to discuss the proposals – with many complaining that they were not being listened to.

Members of the public who attended the Stafford Gatehouse Theatre yesterday jeered and booed at the Trust Special Administrators as they answered questions about their recommendations.

If approved, the proposals would see the hospital's maternity unit close and children requiring inpatient care would be transferred elsewhere, while critical care would be downgraded.

Support Stafford Hospital campaigner Gail Gregory was one of many to question the plans for some services to be taken over by University Hospital of North Staffordshire, in Stoke-on-Trent.

She said: "You may have consulted with a number of people, but you have only listened to the ones that said what you wanted to hear. I am aware that the proposals must provide a service of equal or better quality, but I am not sure this will be the case."

Many service users argued that the hospital was much better than its tarnished reputation led many to believe.

On Tuesday evening, around 150 people turned up to have their say at St Dominic's Priory School in Stone.

Speakers from the audience drew loud applause after raising issues ranging from parking capacity in Stoke to the Stafford's rapidly-increasing population.

Despite criticisms from campaigners, the TSAs have insisted that the meetings are going 'extremely well'.

They have so far consulted with around 3,000 people over their plans and had five meetings with around 300 hospital staff.