Smash hit

Those in charge of the trust, which runs Stafford Hospital and Cannock Chase Hospital, failed to give an adequate explanation of these figures, prompting the commission to launch a full investigation.

“The resulting report is a shocking story,” Sir Ian said. “Our report tells a story of appalling standards of care and chaotic systems for looking after patients.

“These are words I have not previously used in any report.

“There were inadequacies in almost every stage of caring for patients. There was no doubt that patients will have suffered and some of them will have died as a result.”

Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, said he had requested a further full independent review of the Stafford Hospital by Sir George Alberti, national clinical director for Emergency Care, to ensure all lessons had been learnt.

“On behalf of the Government and the NHS I would like to apologise to the patients and families of patients who have suffered because of the poor standards of care at Stafford Hospital.

“There was a complete failure of management to address serious problems and monitor performance. This led to a totally unacceptable failure to treat emergency patients safely and with dignity.”

David Kidney, the MP for Stafford, in whose constituency the hospital is based, told The Times that management were likely to have cut services to deal with its budget deficit.

"Clearly, the hospital was too enthusiastic in cutting back," he said. "People have died because they did not get the care that they should have done in their local hospital.

"Now the chief executive has stepped down and the chair of the trust resigned, we have to make sure that we change the culture of the place."

Julie Bailey was so concerned about the care being given to her 86-year-old mother Bella that she and her relatives slept in a chair at her hospital bedside for eight weeks.

“What we saw in those eight weeks will haunt us for the rest of our lives,” she said. “We saw patients drinking out of flower vases, they were so thirsty.

“There were patients wandering around the hospital and patients fighting. It was continuous through the night.

“Patients were screaming out in pain because you just could not get pain relief.

“Patients would fall out of bed and we would have to go hunting for staff. There was such a lack of staff.

“It was like a Third World country hospital. It was an absolute disgrace.”

Ms Bailey, from Stafford, launched a campaign group, called Cure the NHS, following her mother’s death to encourage a full inquiry into the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

“We had to stand outside the hospital for 14 months to get to this point,” she said.

“The neglect is still happening. We are still taking calls from patients on wards.”

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