On 16th July, the Government issued its response to the Keogh Report, which was set up at the request of the Department of Health to look in to death rates in the NHS. In the report, Sir Bruce Keogh stated that he had concerns about staffing levels at King’s Mill hospital.
I know many of my constituents may be concerned about the future treatment they may receive at King’s Mill following the report, so I took the opportunity to question Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Health, on this matter during his statement outlining the Government’s response:
Nigel Mills MP: Those of my constituents who use King’s Mill hospital will understandably be concerned about their future treatment. What reassurance can my right hon. Friend give me that this summer those patients will get the treatment that they rightly expect?
Jeremy Hunt MP (South West Surrey, Conservative): It is important to recognise that even at the hospitals that we are talking about this afternoon, there is good care happening every single day. The way that we will reassure my hon. Friend’s constituents is by having an independent inspection system which has not existed before, where regulators are not leaned on by Ministers to say the right thing in the run-up to elections. It is only when his constituents have confidence in that regulatory system that they will know the truth about their own hospital, and we want them to get there as soon as possible.