Tomorrow marks 10 years since the Mid Staffs public inquiry report was published.
I asked Sir Robert Francis KC to sit down with me to discuss the NHS today and his reflections a decade on from his report... #MidStaffs 🧵 1/5
But is the NHS culture better than #MidStaffs era now? 2/5
His biggest concern is for the way NHS staff are being treated and the effect on patients #MidStaffs 3/5
Francis says he still believes the voice of nursing is weak and he thinks regulation of managers is needed #MidStaffs 4/5
Finally, I asked Francis about the tsunami of anger he warned could overwhelm the NHS. He says public anger will come as the crisis deepens but it will be politicians who will feel the brunt of it #MidStaffs 5/5
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🚨 INVESTIGATION: 1,540 children across England have been misdiagnosed by NHS hearing tests. Leaked @NHSEngland documents reveal concerns at 90 units. Insiders say NHSE hasn't acted despite evidence of the scale of harm 🧵1/8 thetimes.com/article/e23d4f…
Papers marked 'official sensitive, restricted and confidential' (🤣) detail widespread systemic failings in paediatric audiology testing. 480 children have been moderately or severely harmed, in other words left without hearing aids and at risk of permanent development delays 2/8
Health secretary @wesstreeting was only briefed about the crisis on Friday last week...he told me: "This is an appalling state of affairs...it is outrageous that these failings will have potentially serious developmental consequences for children." 3/8 thetimes.com/article/e23d4f…
🚨 ICYMI in yesterday's print Sunday Times - One of England's largest and high profile NHS trusts @GSTTnhs may need a bail out from @DHSCgovuk to cover day to day spending. It is part of a wider £4.5bn spending crisis sweeping the NHS 🧵 1/7
Hospitals across England have been told to cut costs and consider closing some services. At @GSTTnhs staffing costs needed to be cut by a third in the year ahead, equivalent to £55 million with another £39 million in savings needed from other areas 2/7
If @GSTTnhs can't get control of an underlying £84m deficit it may need a loan from the NHS to cover costs. Info sent to staff below: 3/7
🚨 INVESTIGATION: Top NHS boss Sir David Dalton was warned about a 'butcher' surgeon in 2014 harming patients. Now his victims want a full recall of patients, backed by a whistleblower doctor who says he knows more have been harmed 🧵1/7 thetimes.co.uk/article/cd69ae…
Spinal surgeon John Bradley Williamson harmed dozens of patients in botched surgery at Salford Royal, Spire Manchester and Manchester Children's Hospital. Injuries includes misplaced spinal screws, catastrophic bleeding, paralysis and disability 2/7
A review of patients over a 5 year period found multiple cases of harm. Now victims say all his patients should be reviewed.
Michelle Nolan takes morphine daily for pain and has been told by Spire her care was sub-standard "People deserve the truth, lives have been ruined" 3/7
Why are maternity services not improving? With stillbirths & maternal deaths rising, families are demanding a national inquiry. @DOckendenLtd tells The Sunday Times not enough has been done while @MidwivesRCM criticises ministers. Lets get into it: 🧵 1/n thetimes.co.uk/article/9e9088…
Excited to be having their first baby, Neil and Katie Russell thought @sathNHS would be safe in 2021 after years of scrutiny. But neglect and poor care saw their daughter Poppy starved of oxygen. The trust tried to blame them for her death 2/n thetimes.co.uk/article/9e9088…
"We made a conscious decision to go to Telford and that’s a decision we will forever regret" said Neil.
"We’re not just another sob story," Katie told me: "This seems to be right across the UK." The CQC agrees, 65% of units aren't safe enough. 3/n thetimes.co.uk/article/9e9088…
📣 EXCLUSIVE: Every child in England left infertile by cancer treatment will be given the chance to become a parent, thanks to a multi-million pound new service and cutting edge science backed by @NHSEngland from next year 🧵 1/4 thetimes.co.uk/article/3842c6…
For more than a decade NHS teams have been offering fertility preservation on a near pro-bono basis, working in their own time. But not everywhere did it. Now 750 children a year will get help. Three babies have already been born and another is on the way 2/4
It is amazing what the NHS can now do. The treatment works not just for cancer but also sickle cell patients needing bone marrow transplants and children with other conditions where their fertility can be affected 3/4
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Rishi Sunak is funneling thousands of NHS patients into private hospitals but are they safe? The Sunday Times has learned of hundreds of cases of unnecessary surgery. 🧵 1/9 thetimes.co.uk/article/8d7007…
Breast surgeon Ian Paterson harmed hundreds of his patients. But was he really a rogue? Compensation for negligence (excluding his victims) shows unnecessary surgery is the single largest category. This is only a glimpse into the opaque world of private healthcare 2/9
“This isn't a question of rogue surgeons. This is the routine business as usual approach with people being referred for private operations and being overtreated" says @GuyWForster 3/9