Stafford Hospital receives hundreds of complaints
Board members heard how a healthcare governance committee had been set up in the trust to keep a close eye on four priorities of patient safety, mortality rates, complaints and clinical auditing.
The end-of-year finances were also reported with a small surplus of £759,000, which will be pumped into buying medical equipment and improving services.
Mr Stone addressed questions on former chief executive Martin Yeates, who stepped down but is still an employee and receiving a £15,000-a-month wage while an inquiry is carried out into his conduct. He said: “We are awaiting the results of an investigation and we will act on that report, which will be made public. We are doing what needs to be done and getting on with changing things in this Trust to ensure the healthcare provided is good. Apart from trying to find some sort of closure for those concerned, we are hoping to move the agenda forward through an action plan so those things will not be repeated.”
A draft action plan on how the trust will address recommendations from the Healthcare Commission report and make improvements was submitted to overseeing body Monitor on April 17. Independent case notes reviews will be carried out by external senior medical staff and led by Dr Mike Laker, a medical advisor in North-east England.
Relatives will be given a copy of the review and findings and able to discuss it with the team, which has no connection to Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, which will be footing the bill for the independent reviews.
The Healthcare Commission had criticised the trust board, led by former chief executive Mr Yeates and former chairman Toni Brisby, for holding board meetings behind closed doors and making cutbacks to staffing and services in order to make millions of pounds worth of surplus at the end of each year.
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