Hugh Pym
Health editor

tweets, external: Andy Burnham calls for more formal inquiry into role of Dept of Health,ministers,hospital chiefs in giving Savile power at Stoke Mandeville

Labour's Andy Burnham says one of the report's findings, that many elements of the Savile story could be repeated today, is "chilling".

Mr Burnham asks Mr Hunt to clarify what counselling and support is being offered victims.

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham says there is a need for a more formal inquiry process and victims must have accountability.

Hugh Pym
Health editor

tweets, external: Jeremy Hunt accepts most of Kate Lampard recommendations but not her call for all hospital volunteers to have enhanced/barred list checks

A Downing Street spokeswoman says: "The prime minister's view is that it is horrific that these abuses were allowed to go on for so long and that we absolutely must look at what lessons can be learnt from today."

The spokeswoman announced that a consultation on possible mandatory reporting of child abuse will now be extended to cover vulnerable adults, and will go ahead as soon as possible.

Mr Hunt says it is clear from the reports that there should have been a "much stronger incentive" on staff and managers to pass information on to investigate, and that it was "clearly unacceptable".

Mr Hunt says to Savile's victims: "It our society's shame that you were ignored for so long, but it is a tribute to your bravery that we can take action today."

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt: "Whilst no system can ever be totally secure from a manipulative and deceitful predator like Savile we learned last year that there were clear failings in the security, culture and processes of many NHS organisations, allowing terrible abuse to continue unchecked over many years.

"What happened was horrific, caused immeasurable and often permanent damage, and betrayed vulnerable people who trusted us to keep them safe. We let them down."

He cities hospital's policies on celebrities and important people as among them.

Mr Hunt says the government is accepting 13 recommendations from Kate Lampard's report.

We have a "collective responsibility" to make sure things are followed up and investigated properly, the health secretary says.

He says the "right questions, the hard questions" were not asked because people were either "too dazzled or intimidated" by Savile's celebrity status.

"Never again must the power of celebrity blind us," he says.

Jeremy Hunt says investigations have been "deeply harrowing" for victims and investigators, and thanked Kate Lampard for her report.

There were suggestions of "inappropriate behaviour" by Jimmy Savile towards staff at what was Bensham Hospital but no specific allegations, the hospital's trust said.

It was discovered that Savile visited Bensham Hospital (now part of Queen Elizabeth Gateshead) on one occasion as part of a charity presentation in March 1990.

The trust said he was accompanied by senior hospital staff at all times and none of the witnesses recall seeing anything they considered inappropriate.

Staff raised the issue of Jimmy Savile being tactile, including kissing and licking their hands but attributed his behaviour to his "known eccentricity", the report said.

Mr Hunt reiterates his apology on behalf of the government. "What happened was horrific and betrayed vulnerable people who trusted us to keep us safe. "We let them down." he says.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is speaking in the House of Commons.

A separate report by former barrister and NHS executive Kate Lampard reviewed how Savile could have abused victims at 41 NHS hospitals. It said:

- Elements of the Savile story could happen again, and there would always be people who tried to gain undue influence within institutions such as hospitals

- Society has a "weakness for celebrities" and hospitals must be aware of the risks

- There is a "need for us to examine safeguarding arrangements in NHS hospitals, the raising of complaints and matters of concern, and how managers and staff respond to complaints".

There was no evidence to connect Jimmy Savile with St Martin's Hospital in Canterbury, Kent, in 1969 or at any other time, a report by Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust concluded.

A former patient had said they were abused by Jimmy Savile at the hospital when they were about 21, in 1969.

The report said it was unlikely the person was treated at St Martin's Hospital in 1969 or that Savile visited the hospital.

Here's a recap of the main findings from the Stoke Mandeville report:

- Jimmy Savile was an "opportunistic predator" who abused 63 people, from 1968 to 1992 and were aged eight to 40, connected to Stoke Mandeville Hospital

- Savile's reputation as a "sex pest" was an "open secret" among junior staff and some middle managers

- Ten of Savile's victims did complain to staff but none of the nine informal complaints were "taken seriously or escalated to senior management". One formal complaint about a very serious assault on an 11-year-old patient was made in 1977 by the victim's father and should have been reported to police. It was later dropped

- Senior management at the hospital were probably never told about Savile's inappropriate behaviour or about the sexual assault claims.