Pledge as hospital deaths inquiry opens

A PUBLIC inquiry into major failings at an NHS trust will "explore every relevant nook and cranny" to find out why appalling standards of care were allowed to continue, the lawyer leading the probe said yesterday. The inquiry into avoidable deaths at Stafford Hospital will look at why the health care system tolerated a "terrible standard of service".

Tom Kark, QC, leading counsel to the inquiry, said: "The purpose … is to focus not on what went wrong, but how it was allowed to go on for so long without appropriate remedial action.

"Why did no-one act to correct the serious errors that were undoubtedly taking place?"

The inquiry will start hearing expert evidence next week.