Stafford Hospital timeline

26 February 2014 Last updated at 14:49

Stafford Hospital timeline

The trust that runs Stafford Hospital is to be broken up and key services moved to neighbouring hospitals.

The decision was announced by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who said the changes would "secure the safe and high-quality services" that the people of Stafford deserved.

The Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust has been in administration since April 2013 after being criticised by a public inquiry for the "suffering of hundreds of people" in its care.

26 February 2014

Final decision

Trust to be dissolved
Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust is to be broken up and key services moved to neighbouring hospitals. The Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the move would secure "the safe and high quality services that the people of Stafford deserve". Stafford and Cannock hospitals will continue to operate but will be run by different trusts. Read the full story
28 January 2014

Nurse "struck off"

Nursing ban
The most senior nurse to be disciplined as part of the Stafford Hospital scandal is to be struck off the nursing register. Janice Harry, who was director of nursing, had been given a five year caution for failings in her role. Harry, now retired, reached an agreement with the nurses watchdog the NMC to be taken off its register.Read the full story
16 January 2014

Plans approved

Trust plans approved
Plans to dissolve the trust that runs Stafford Hospital are approved by the health watchdog, Monitor. Under the proposals, control of Stafford Hospital will go to University Hospital of North Staffordshire (UHNS) and Cannock Hospital will be run by Royal Wolverhampton Trust. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will make the final decision. Read the full story
30 December 2013

Campaigners honoured

New Year honours
Two women who led the fight against one of the most shocking failings in NHS history have been recognised in the New Year honours list. Julie Bailey, who set up a campaign group after witnessing her mother's treatment, was made a CBE. Helene Donnelly, a nurse who became a whistleblower, was made an OBE. Read the full story
18 December 2013

Report published

Trust to be dissolved
A final report published by the administrators recommends Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust should be dissolved. Control of Stafford Hospital will go to University Hospital of North Staffordshire and Cannock Hospital will be run by Royal Wolverhampton Trust. The secretary of state is due to make a final decision in the new year. Read the full story
21 October 2013

More time for report

More time for report
Administrators running Stafford Hospital have been given more time by the health regulator to submit a report on the future funding of services. Read the full story
31 July 2013

Administrators' report

Administrators recommend an end to Trust
Administrators recommend that the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust should be dissolved. Critical care, maternity and paediatric services should also be cut. A full report is to be put together for health watchdog Monitor. Read the full story
30 July 2013

Nurses chief leaves

Director of nursing to leave post
It's announced that the director of nursing at Stafford Hospital is to leave and take up a similar role at another hospital trust. Colin Ovington was recruited in 2010 to help improve quality of care at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. Read the full story
30 July 2013

Diabetes death

Nurses failed to help diabetic
The Nursing and Midwifery Council finds Ann King and Jeannette Coulson guilty of misconduct after they failed to read the notes of Gillian Astbury and spot that she was diabetic. The nurses failed to carry out blood-sugar level tests on Ms Astbury or give her insulin. Read the full story
25 July 2013

False records

Nurses struck off register
Two Stafford Hospital nurses who falsified A&E discharge times are struck off the nursing register. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel found that Tracey-Ann White and Sharon Turner had brought their profession into serious disrepute. Read the full story
24 July 2013

Chief nurse

Chief nurse faces disciplinary hearing
A former chief nurse at Stafford Hospital has admitted she could be "intense" with staff. At a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) disciplinary hearing, Janice Harry denied bullying colleagues. Read the full story
18 July 2013

Inquiry costs

Cost of government evidence revealed
It is revealed the government spent £6m on submitting evidence to the Francis inquiry into Stafford Hospital failings, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has revealed. Read the full story
8 July 2013

Petition

MP delivers petition
A Save Stafford Hospital petition containing 50,000 signatures is presented to the government. Campaigners from Support Stafford Hospital handed the petition to Conservative MP for Stafford Jeremy Lefroy earlier. Read the full story
19 June 2013

Plans delayed

Extra time for service plan
Administrators running Stafford Hospital are given more time to plan the future of its services. Health regulator Monitor grants the Trust Special Administrators (TSA) an extra 30 days. Read the full story
10 June 2013

Police investigation

Police review deaths at hospital
Police investigate about 300 deaths at Stafford Hospital, after evidence showed they could have been caused by neglect. Staffordshire Police have been reviewing documents from the Francis report, published in February. Read the full story
19 May 2013

Night of Light

Protesters stage late-night rally
More than 1,000 people hold a night-time demonstration to save services at Stafford Hospital. Campaigners light hundreds of lanterns at the "Night of Light" event on Cannock Road in Stafford. Read the full story
24 April 2013

Evidence questioned

Hospital executives' evidence under spotlight
The former chairman and chief executive of Stafford Hospital are referred for investigation over the hospital's death rates scandal. Stafford Borough Council wants the Crown Prosecution Service to examine whether Martin Yeates and Toni Brisby misled its health scrutiny panel. Read the full story
20 April 2013

Protest march

Local people protest new plan
Up to 30,000 people march in opposition to plans to downgrade Stafford Hospital's services. Read the full story
15 April 2013

Administration

Trust to be put into administration
It is announced the trust which runs Stafford Hospital is to be put into administration by the health regulator Monitor. Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust will be run by two specially appointed administrators to "safeguard the future of health services" currently provided. Read the full story
30 March 2013

Fight for services

Fight to keep local services
The board of Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust says it is essential that acute services stay at Stafford Hospital. Responding to the Contingency Planning Team Report by the regulator Monitor, it said the proposed downgrading of service provision is "dramatic". Read the full story
26 March 2013

Government response

Government vows to introduce "radical new measures"
The Government promises to foster a "culture of zero harm and compassionate care" in the wake of Robert Francis QC's report. Speaking in the Commons, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said a number of changes would be introduced, including a rating system for hospitals and care homes, and changes to nurse training. Read the full story
6 February 2013

Report published

The final report says the NHS must 'fundamentally change'
In his final report, Robert Francis QC makes 290 recommendations for changing the NHS. He states that patients at the hospital "were failed by a system which ignored the warning signs and put corporate self-interest and cost control ahead of patients and their safety". Read the full story
6 January 2013

Jeremy Hunt MP

Health Secretary calls for change of culture in NHS
Ahead of the inquiry's report, the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt called for "proper accountability" and a change of culture to give greater priority to compassion. Mr Hunt said the events at Stafford represented "the most shocking betrayal of NHS founding values in its history". Read the full story
1 December 2011

Robert Francis QC

Public inquiry ends
The inquiry into standards at Stafford Hospital ends after 139 days and at a cost of over £10m. The chairman Robert Francis QC is left to consider a million pages of evidence which have been presented by the NHS, patients, employees and campaign groups. Read the full story
21 November 2011

Julie Bailey

Closing statements
The public inquiry into failings at Stafford Hospital has heard closing statements from patient groups. Cure the NHS members criticised the strategic health authority and described the Care Quality Commission health watchdog as a "wholly inefficient" organisation. Read the full story
7 October 2011

Helene Donnelly

Helene Donnelly, casualty nurse
Casualty nurse Helene Donnelly said she was spurred on to blow the whistle as she could not see patients suffer any more. She told the inquiry that as a result of her actions she was "told to watch my back" and was afraid to leave the hospital unaccompanied. Read the full story
3 October 2011

Martin Yeates

Martin Yeates, Former Chief Executive, Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust
The inquiry heard that Martin Yeates had thought about taking his own life because of the pressure which resulted from the release of the Healthcare Commission report. He also said that he and his team were attempting to improve the services at a difficult time.
3 October 2011

Toni Brisby

Toni Brisby, Former Chair, Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust
Toni Brisby appeared via video link, and told the inquiry she believed the report by the Healthcare Commission which exposed the problems at the Trust was "shaky". She also said that had she not been told to go by the head of the Foundation Trust Regulator Monitor, she would have probably tried to "stick it out". Read the full story
27 September 2011

Sir David Nicholson

Sir David Nicholson, Chief Executive of NHS
Sir David was talking about his time overseeing the creation of NHS West Midlands in 2005. He told the inquiry that at the time there was a national drive to save money, but he said that the Mid Staffordshire Trust gave them no cause for concern as it only had a small deficit. Read the full story
7 September 2011

Ben Bradshaw MP

Ben Bradshaw MP, former Health Minister
Ben Bradshaw told the inquiry that he knew that the Healthcare Commission was investigating the Mid Staffordshire Trust, but he did not intervene because he wanted to allow them to get on with their job. He also expressed surprise at the lack of complaints about the hospital from local people. Read the full story
6 September 2011

Andy Burnham MP

Andy Burnham MP, Former Health Secretary
During his time as a Health Minister Andy Burnham had allowed the Mid Staffordshire Trust to apply for Foundation Status, having been reassured by civil servants at the Department of Health. The inquiry heard that he'd been told that the Trust had a "can do attitude" but not that officials had previously said the application was "difficult to support". Read the full story
4 July 2011

Baroness Barbara Young

Baroness Barbara Young, Former Chair Care Quality Commission
Baroness Young told the inquiry that when the Care Quality Commission was set up in 2008 it took quite a while to become fully operational. She also recalled a meeting with the Mid Staffordshire Trust's interim Chief Executive and Chairman in which she told them that they had a "them and us" attitude to the local community. Read the full story
4 May 2011

Sir Ian Kennedy

Sir Ian Kennedy, former Chairman Healthcare Commission
Sir Ian Kennedy told the public inquiry that his organisation came under almost constant political pressure. He said that the decision to remove the estimation of the number of people who had died at the hospital was his, as he wanted the focus to be on the "appalling" care. See the full report
18 April 2011

Cynthia Bower

Cynthia Bower, former Chief Executive of NHS West Midlands, now Chief Executive of Care Quality Commission
Cynthia Bower apologised to the relatives of those who had died at Stafford Hospital saying they had been let down. But despite missing vital signs that there could be a problem at the trust she denied that there had been a "serious failing" by the West Midland Strategic Health Authority. Read the full story
28 March 2011

Dr Helen Moss

Dr Helen Moss, former Director of Nursing, Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Moss told the inquiry she had not made the problems with the number of nursing staff clear enough to the board. She also told the inquiry that she did not realise the extent of staffing cuts which had been made before her appointment. Read the full story
18 March 2011

Antony Sumara

Antony Sumara, Chief Executive Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust July 2009 - July 2011
Antony Sumara told the inquiry that there were too many regulators monitoring the NHS and that they should all be merged into one. He also cast doubt over whether regulators would be able to spot another Stafford Hospital
28 February 2011

Andrew Haigh

Andrew Haigh, Coroner for South Staffordshire
Mr Haigh told the inquiry that this was just one of several healthcare organisations under his jurisdiction and at the time he was more concerned about Queen's Hospital Burton. But he said he hadn't identified a systemic failure because he was dealing with individual cases.
8 February 2011

Janet Eagland

Councillor Janet Eagland, former chair of Staffordshire County Council's Health Select committee
Janet Eagland told the inquiry that during her time on the committee she had not received complaints about any of the county's hospitals. She also said that she felt like she had been "duped" by the previous management who had not told them how bad the situation at the trust actually was. Read the full story
3 February 2011

David Kidney

David Kidney, former Labour MP for Stafford
Mr Kidney told the inquiry that management assured him no nurses would lose their jobs as the hospital tried to clear its deficit. He also said that when Cure the NHS wrote to him about the staff shortages he was told by management that more nurses had been recruited but later discovered that had not happened.
23 November 2010

Julie Bailey

Julie Bailey, leader of the Cure the NHS campaign
Julie Bailey, who began campaigning after her mother died at Stafford Hospital in 2007, gives evidence saying she still has "huge concerns" about patient treatment at the hospital. Read the full story
8 November 2010

Public inquiry opens

The inquiry into avoidable deaths at Stafford Hospital, chaired by Robert Francis QC, is to look at why the health care system tolerated a "terrible standard of service". It is the fifth inquiry into the higher than expected deaths at Stafford Hospital between 2005 and 2008. Read the full story