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Hospital Trusts (Essex)

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that question and I note his praise for the staff at both King's College and Lewisham hospitals, who will hear his kind words. It is important that my hon. Friend speaks in that way, because at moments like this, there is a tendency to cast a cloud over all the people working in the NHS, yet, as we all know, the vast majority of our constituents receive outstanding care from the NHS and it is crucial that these issues are at all times kept in context. Contrary to what the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) said, I am not shooting the messenger. Nevertheless, the safety ratio used for this piece of research is a new calculation and, as was rightly said, there has been some challenge to that calculation by a number of hospital trusts. I think that it is a healthy thing that there is a process of challenge in respect of these matters of the utmost importance, but I would also defend the right of hospitals around the country to counter suggestions if they believe that they give an unfair portrayal of the standards at any particular trust.