Scandal over Stafford Hospital food fight photos
Apr 23 2010 by James Cartledge, Birmingham Mail
A NURSE at scandal-hit Stafford hospital has uploaded pictures of her colleagues having a food fight on Facebook.
The shocking images of the staff – who are supposed to be caring for the sick – throwing yoghurt and juice at one another have disgusted relatives of patients who died at the NHS health unit.
Stafford Hospital, run by Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, was the subject of a lengthy independent inquiry after serious concerns were raised about its standards of care.
A Healthcare Commission report revealed deficiencies at “virtually every stage” at the health unit, including inadequately trained staff, who were too few in number, junior doctors left alone in charge at night, and dirty wards and bathrooms.
Publishing the Inquiry findings in February, chairman Robert Francis QC, concluded: “Patients were routinely neglected by a Trust that was preoccupied with cost cutting, targets and processes and which lost sight of its fundamental responsibility to provide safe care.”
It is believed the Facebook photos were taken last summer as part of a nurse’s leaving celebrations.
They have been condemned by Cure The NHS, which represents relatives of people who died at the Trust.
Founder Julie Bailey said: “They are throwing meal-replacement drinks, used to build up the patients. The patients have to be assessed for them, and there they are throwing them at each other.
“It just beggars belief that while they’re under the spotlight they are carrying on like that. It is just so unprofessional.
“They’ve been telling us for years that it all happened because they were short staffed but if they have time for this sort of thing. It is staggering, it really is.”
Antony Sumara, chief executive of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, said: “As soon as we were made aware of the photos in December 2009 we launched an investigation and appropriate action was taken.
“The Facebook content was removed immediately and we issued a reminder to all our staff about the appropriate use of social networking sites.”
