Stafford Hospital: More compensation paid out

A public inquiry was held into care provided at the hospital

Seventeen more families have been awarded compensation over treatment received at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

A total of £173,000 has been paid out by The NHS Litigation Authority, which settles claims on behalf of the health service.

The trust apologised and said it had made improvements to care.

The trust, which runs Stafford Hospital, had previously paid more than £1m compensation to 98 families.

The claims were settled after an independent inquiry looked into care provided at the hospital.

'Sincere apology'

It followed a Healthcare Commission report in 2009 which found that a higher-than-expected number of people died at the hospital between 2005 and 2008.

Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust said last year it paid a total of £1,029,000 over "poor nursing and dignity issues".

It has now said an agreement has been reached between Weightmans Solicitors on behalf of The NHS Litigation Authority and Leigh Day solicitors in settlement of 17 cases brought by patients or relatives.

Trust chief executive Lyn Hill-Tout said: "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 improvements to the care of our patients and will continue to focus our efforts on quality and safety and making sure these improvements are sustained."