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Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust

Even after four inquiries, it is still impossible not to be shocked by the record of failure of care in this case. We now know, beyond peradventure, what happened, and I think we know why it happened. What we do not yet know enough about is how it could have been allowed to happen. That is why there is a valid case for a fifth inquiry, into the regulatory structure, and I am glad the Secretary of State has announced that today. May I make one further point? There is one group of people who bear no responsibility for what happened: the patients. If we have one overriding obligation now, it is to make sure both that that hospital, which has failed them, pays for the errors of the past by being supported by the national health service, and that patient care in that hospital is as safe and effective as possible.