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Relatives of patients involved in the Francis report hold pictures of their loved ones outside the Moat House hotel near Stafford, after Robert Francis QC delivered his report into failings at Stafford Hospital. David Jones/PA Archive/Press Association Images
Stafford Hospital
INMO look at patient care guidelines in wake of Francis Report recommendations
The report, published last year, looked at the failings of a UK hospital that led to the deaths of as many as 500 patients.
THE IRISH NURSES and Midwives Organisation (INMO) are to discuss how Irish hospitals can learn from a report published last year that highlighted rumours failings throughout the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).
The Francis Report looked at poor standards of care at the Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust, where it is estimated as many as 500 patients at the hospital died as a result of negligent care by staff.
The report made 290 recommendations, of which the UK government pledged to implement 204.
Some of these include that each month hospitals must publish statistics on how many shifts meet staff staffing guidelines, a criminal offence for wilful neglect, and that every patient’s bed must have the name of their consultant and nurse above it.
“Lessons must be learned from the Report on the Mid-Staffordshire Hospital Trust where hundreds of lives were lost”, INMO General Secretary Liam Doran said.
We cannot allow the same situation to happen here.
He added that any extra resources needed to allow for “safe practices and safe care” must be allocated.
Speaking before the seminar the organisation is holding later today, President of the INMO Claire Mahon said these recommendation should now be looked at from an Irish respective following “six consecutive years of health service cutbacks”.
“[This had led] to an overall reduction of over €3 billion, in health expenditure, and a loss of 5,150 nursing/midwifery posts (13.5 per cent of the entire workforce) over the past five years.”
“In pursuing this cutback agenda, the serious staffing situation, which now exists, remains ignored by health service management and government who continue to seek further reductions in the name of ‘cost containment’.”
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland CEO Dr Maura Pidgeon and Director of the HSE’s Quality and Patient Safety Directorate are among those who will also be speaking at the event.
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