This site is firstly dedicated to Bella Bailey 16/02/1921 - 08/11/2007
... and also to the many others who have lost their lives needlessly on wards in Staffordshire General Hospital. We launched this campaign after witnessing 8 weeks of elderly care in this hospital. What we saw after the first few days left us fearing for my Mother's life and too frightened to leave her. We stayed by her side sleeping on a chair for 8 weeks, because we did I believe my Mother stayed alive for those eight weeks.
What we saw horrified us and from the letters we have received, it haunts many others who have had relatives/friends on those wards. Some relatives have spent longer staying in the hospital than us and have shared their experiences. Most of the letters relate to wards 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12 and it is ward 11 where my Mother spent her last days.
After her needless death, who yes was ill but not ready to die, we her family felt unable to let the suffering/abuse we saw continue. The campaign was launched by this [letter to the Staffordshire Newsletter].
The launch of the campaign with the help of the Staffordshire newsletter brought in many similar stories to ours. Their loved ones had been neglected or abused on those wards. My Mum was lucky she had us to help care for her. Many didn't, they died alone.
We were lucky too as we had each other. We shared the care between the family and were able to discuss the horrors we witnessed. Many of the letters we received were from relatives who only had themselves to provide the care, too fearful to leave their loved ones. They had to watch as their relative failed and faded before them. Many had been full time carers now they were forced to watch as their loved ones body broke down before them. Dressings left unchanged and sores left to fester, nurses too busy to attend to even the basic of nursing needs. Many wrote how they watched their loved ones shrinking before their eyes from lack of nourishment and care. Unable to provide the care they once did now reliant on the nursing staff for their loved ones needs.
For some writing to the campaign has helped ease the frustration and pain they still feel from the death of their loved one. For many it has confirmed their fears!
They have complained, took it all the way as many have said, but nothing has changed.
This time we are uniting and this campaign will continue until we have assurances that the neglect/abuse that people have suffered and are still suffering stops. We have all seen our relatives suffer and we all know unless we do something together more will suffer. Many of us have lost relatives who were so strong, yet after a stay in the hospital they become shadows of their former selves. Petrified of the very staff who were there to care for them.
We intend in time to share with you some of the experiences we have read about. Some we hope to publish as several people are interested in our plight.
We hope to contact by person our MP Mr David Kidney who is responsible for the hospital. We intend to write to Alan Johnson and anyone else who can help us.
We sent a [letter to David Kidney] our M.P.alerting him to the horrors we have witnessed - we have not enclosed the letter of complaint intended for the hospital. Though we will as the complaint is dealt with.
We have also contacted the Health Commission with our concerns and sent a copy of my letter of complaint regarding my Mother. Click here to view the Letter to the Health Commission.
The letters we have received from families who have too contacted the Health Commission have been assured at the time that the standards at the hospital would improve. They now find due to the launch of our campaign that nothing has changed the loss of their loved ones life hasn't helped others and their time was wasted.
We have launched this campaign and we have found each other. Through very sad circumstances we now intend to ensure something is done. We are ordinary people who have witnessed the abuse/neglect of vulnerable people. We have put our trust in others who have let us down.
I didn't at first put my concerns in writing I was advised by PALS to speak with the ward manager, Sister Leach. From the letters I have received this too is familiar. Concerned families are encouraged by the PALS team to discuss problems and not to officially complain. I would advise you not to take this approach but put all your concerns in writing and address them to Martin Yeates, Chief Executive.
My concerns were ignored and altered to suit her explanation of events. It's sad but true and several letters I have received relatives have had the same thing happen to them. Put your complaint in writing and try and include names of witnesses and accurate times and dates. Send a copy to your MP and anyone else you can think of who may help.
We have been overwhelmed with the amount of letters we have recieved and the sufferings we have heard about.
The Care Standards Act 2002 and the Human Rights Act should be there to help us to stop this abuse on those hospital wards. But it isn't, we seem to be banging our heads trying to get people to listen us. Perhaps with the publication of the Health Commission investigation this community will say enough is enough we all need to ensure that things are improved at our hospital.
We have recieved a lot of support but at the same time we have found a lot of the community find what we are saying hard to believe. Like myself, if someone had told me that they had seen elderly confused men physically abused by staff just because of their confusion I myself would of find it hard to believe. If someone had told me that they had listened night after night to men sobbing as they had been forced to wet themselves, I would of found this difficult to believe.
But it did happen and it probally still is, because I suspect the staffing problems remain, the letters we are still recieving indicate this. The hospital try to assure us that they have made improvements and I think they believe they have. They tell us that they have set up group after group to improve the care by monitoring what is happening. They tell us and the press that they have improved their staffing levels. Yet at the same time we know that they have been telling people this for several years. The groups they now tell us they have formed to ensure adequate monitoring of care they have already told families that these monitoring groups were developed some years ago. Therefore you can understand that we don't believe what they are telling us.
With your help we can help to stop this suffering.
Julie Bailey