NHS trust in massive payout over 'appalling' patient care

Stafford Hospital "routinely neglected" patients and displayed "systemic failings" in its approach to care, according to an independent inquiry published in February.

Poor standards put patients at risk and between 400 and 1,200 more people died than would have been expected in a three-year period from 2005 to 2008.

The inquiry found the trust had meanwhile become preoccupied with cost-cutting and targets.

Dozens of families will receive payouts, with sums ranging from 1,000 to about 27,500, with an average payment of just above 11,000.

A spokesman for Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust said the total figure is expected to be less than 1m.

The trust apologised again yesterday for its failings. Chief executive Antony Sumara said: "As always, I offer our sincerest apologies to the families concerned, for the distress caused by the poor care their relatives received at our trust in the past.

"We have made a lot of progress over the last year in improving the care for our patients and will continue to focus our efforts on building on these improvements and making sure that they are sustained."

But the trust is still falling short on 11 key standards, according to the health watchdog.

The Care Quality Commission found in a recent inspection that it complied with just five out of the 16 objectives set out by law to maintain quality and safety in hospitals.

The inspection report said on Friday that problems with the way hospitals handled medicine had increased in the last 12 months. The report warned services must continue to improve to meet the minimum standards of care.

Leigh Day & Co solicitors has been representing families claiming compensation from the trust over the past few months.

It said in August that it had agreed a settlement on behalf of some 60 families whose relatives had experienced ill-treatment at Stafford Hospital.

Frances Swaine, a partner at Leigh Day & Co, said last night the firm had now obtained settlements for about 100 families.

She added: "Most of the compensation is for unbelievable lack of nursing care over many years, with families witnessing the deaths of their loved ones in horrible conditions."

A full public inquiry into the failings at the trust will be carried out later this month.