Stafford Hospital inquiry: 'No one listened'

A bereavement officer told an inquiry into the high number of deaths at Stafford Hospital that she had concerns but no one listened to her.

Kath Fox, senior Unison representative, said there were clusters of deaths when the hospital was short-staffed.

A public inquiry is being held into the higher-than-expected number of deaths at the hospital between 2005 and 2008.

She said she did not get support from Unison and nobody at the hospital would listen to her.

Ms Fox said she saw junior doctors under pressure to record causes of death.

She also claimed the trust chairman did nothing when she raised her concerns.

But in hindsight, she said she had been duped and felt very angry.

David Kidney, Labour MP for Stafford during 1997-2010, has given evidence to the inquiry as well as Bill Cash, Conservative MP for Stone.

Before Christmas, campaigners said they were disappointed by the number of people visiting the public inquiry and urged more to attend.

By mid-December, after six weeks of evidence, BBC Radio Stoke reported that between April and October the inquiry has cost just over £1.4m.