Stafford Hospital bosses could face criminal charges over misconduct


  • Martin Yeates and Toni Brisby referred to the Crown Prosecution Service
  • Stafford Borough Council says they committed misconduct in public office
  • Believe the pair knowingly gave false and misleading evidence relating to hospital death rates to the Council

By
Emma Innes

08:26 EST, 24 April 2013

|

11:54 EST, 24 April 2013

The former chief executive and chairwoman of the scandal-hit Stafford Hospital are to be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service over allegations of misconduct.

Stafford Borough Council has agreed to file complaints against former Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Martin Yeates, and chairwoman Toni Brisby.

Councillors allege they committed misconduct in public office. They believe hospital bosses
knowingly gave false and misleading evidence relating to death rates to
the council’s statutory overview and scrutiny committee.

The former chief executive and chairwoman of scandal-hit Stafford Hospital are to be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service over allegations of misconduct

The former chief executive and chairwoman of scandal-hit Stafford Hospital are to be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service over allegations of misconduct

Up to 1,200 people died needlessly at the hospital as a result of poor care between 2005 and 2009.

In the Commons today David Cameron claimed the scandal would be ‘repeated over again’ if Labour was in power.

At the time of Robert Francis QC’s report into the scandal was published, he agreed there should not be a search for ‘scapegoats’. Both Labour and the Tories initially refused to use the deaths for political gain.

Prime Minister David Cameron said the Mid Staffs scandal could be repeated if Labour returns to power

Prime Minister David Cameron said the Mid Staffs scandal could be repeated if Labour returns to power

But today, as he was attacked by Labour leader Ed Miliband over longer waiting times at A and E departments, the Prime Minister warned there could be another similar crisis if Labour was in power.

Mr Cameron pointed to the Labour administration’s running of the NHS in Wales as proof it could not be trusted with the health service.

He told MPs: ‘That is what you get under Labour, cuts to our NHS, longer waiting lists and all the problems we saw at Stafford Hospital will be repeated over again.’

Mr Miliband slammed the ‘disgraceful slur’.

It came as councillors in Staffordshire moved to refer former bosses to the police.

At a meeting of the full council on Tuesday night, councillors instructed Stafford Borough Council chief executive, Ian Thompson, to make a formal complaint to the CPS over the allegations.

A spokesman for the council said: ‘At a meeting of the full council last night it was agreed to instruct the council’s chief executive to make a formal complaint to the Crown Prosecution Service in that Mr Martin Yeates – the former chief executive of the hospital trust – and Mrs Toni Brisby – former chair of the Trust – committed the offence of misconduct in public office by knowingly giving false and misleading evidence to the council’s statutory overview and scrutiny committee.’

A spokeswoman from Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust said it would not be commenting on the issue.

The move comes after thousands of
supporters flooded Stafford town centre last weekend in a demonstration
aimed at keeping major services at Stafford Hospital.

Stafford Borough Council has agreed to file complaints against Martin Yeates and Toni Brisby

Stafford Borough Council has agreed to file complaints against Martin Yeates and Toni Brisby

A public inquiry into the hospital, which was placed into administration last week, found it had provided ‘appalling’ standards of care and caused unnecessary suffering to hundreds of patients over a five-year period up to 2009.

Health regulator Monitor has given two special administrators 45 working days to produce a plan for the sustainable “reorganisation” of future services, including maternity care.

The decision to place the Trust, which also runs Cannock Hospital, into administration was taken after a review team concluded that its services were clinically and financially unsustainable.

The review also concluded that the Trust was unlikely to be able to repay its debts.

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