Stafford hospital inquiry report to be published

The £13m public inquiry looked at why regulators and external bodies failed to spot there was a problem

The public inquiry into the failings at Stafford Hospital is to publish its findings in February.

Robert Francis QC, the inquiry's chairman, said he would present the final report to the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt on 5 February.

The report will be published the next day, before Mr Hunt makes a statement to MPs in Parliament, Mr Francis said.

The £13m inquiry was set up after a Healthcare Commission report in 2009 found "appalling standards" of care.

It is thought hundreds more people than expected died at the hospital as a result of the treatment they received there.

The focus of the public inquiry was on why regulators and external bodies failed to spot there was a problem.

The findings were expected to be published in October 2012 but it was delayed after Robert Francis said he needed more time to go through the "huge amount of evidence."

A million pages of evidence were presented to the inquiry, which lasted for 139 days.

Reports have suggested the inquiry will recommend wide-ranging reforms of the National Health Service.