Cameron calls for investigation into Tameside Hospital!

Shortly after publication of Sir Robert Francis's report into the scandal at Mid Staffordshire Hospital Trust, the Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced that an immediate investigation is to be carried out by health chief, Sir Bruce Keogh, into five other hospital's which ministers believe could have similar underlying problems to Mid Staffordshire hospital. The five hospital's are - Blackpool, Basildon, Colchester, Burnley and Tameside Hospital.

Data which has been collated by the health and social care information centre, revealed that all these hospital's had higher that expected death rates than would normally be expected for the sort of population the hospital serves. Using the 'summary hospital-level mortality indicator' (SHMI), mortality rates are calculated by comparing the number of patients who die at each hospital and those who die within 30 days of discharge, with the number of patients who would be expected to die, given the sort of population it serves.

The investigation into Tameside Hospital is one of a number which have been undertaken into standards of care and clinical governance at the hospital. In 2006, the local cornoner, John Pollard, branded care at the hospital 'chaotic and despicable' after hearing four inquests into the deaths of elderly patients in one day. In 2007, hospital management blamed high death rates at the hospital on what they called the 'Shipman Factor'. Last year, the hospital was forced to apologise to the family of Emma Stones, a 12-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, who was left to die from blood poisoning, 16 hours after being admitted. Rigor mortis had set in,when she'd been found dead.

Although Tameside Hospital has, according to these findings, the second highest rate of 'excess deaths' in the country, the Chief Executive of the hospital, Christine Green, told the press that she "welcomed the chance to work with Sir Bruce to improve death rates - adding figures were better according to a different measure the HSMR."

Paul Connellan (pictured), who was appointed the Chairman of Tameside Hospital Trust in October 2011, said at the time of his appointment that he believed he had the right skills and experience (30 years experience in the travel industry), to root out problems at the hospital, such as high death rates. Only last week, he praised the hospital's success in driving down death rates and cases of C. difficile and said patient confidence in the hospital had improved.

If previous investigations at Tameside Hospital are anything to go by, then it is highly unlikely that it will lead to any sackings of senior hospital managers, like Mrs. Green or the Chairman of the hospital board. Critics of the Francis report, have pointed out that although the report says that hundreds of patients died needlessly at Mid Staffordshire hospital between 2005-2009, not one person has lost their job at the hospital. Instead, senior hospital managers have been paid-off, promoted or moved sideways.