‘Alarming’ allegations about Noble’s Hospital, contained in an anonymous letter circulated to Tynwald members, will be investigated by an independent working party.
Health Minister David Anderson told Tynwald that the working group, chaired by Michael Coleman MLC, had been set up to consider the recommendations of the report into the scandal at the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.
Alex Downie MLC asked in the Minister was prepared to investigate the alarming allegations’ outlined in a ‘well-crafted letter’ sent to Tynwald members.
Mr Anderson replied: ‘I would not give any time for such a letter if somebody does not put their name to such widespread and detailed allegations. However, I am passing the letter to the committee to look into and report back to me with the findings.’
The anonymous letter makes allegations about the standard of patient care and staffing levels at Noble’s.
Howard Quayle (Middle) told the Examiner he believed Noble’s was a ‘ticking timebomb that needs looking at.’
In Tynwald he asked whether the Department of Health had considered the findings and recommendations of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust public inquiry – and questioned when the last unannounced independent clinical audit was undertaken at Noble’s.
Mr Anderson replied: ‘I have put together a working party chaired by an independent chairman to look at the recommendations to see if there are any that are relevant. That working party is due to start its work in the next month.’
He said there had been no unannounced independent clinical audit although unannounced inspections do take place on a regular basis around wards and departments of the hospital.
The Francis report into the failures at Mid Staffordshire hospital trust that led to between 400 and 1,200 deaths between 2005 and 2009 was published in February. Inquiry chairman Robert Francis QC concluded patients were routinely neglected by a Trust preoccupied with cost cutting.
