More failings in hospitals

"Gross failures" by Milton Keynes Hospital contributed to the death of a five-year-old boy, a coroner has ruled. His family had waited since 2009 for the inquest to resume.

The medical director says they "have learned from this" (as they do), and have put in place measures which sound pretty basic common sense. Harry's mother says:

I did take the apology on oath as sincere, but I think it came from the wrong person, and very late.

The inquest process has been drawn out over more than two years, and as usual we hear of no one disciplined or sacked.

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Lawyers are planning a "class action" on behalf of 23 families who contacted them with "shocking" claims of indignities and the most basic failings in care. They believe the families who have contacted them so far about care at Alexandra Hospital, in Redditch, West Midlands, may represent "the tip of the iceberg". The Telegraph lists some of the complaints.

The legal action facing the trust comes after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published the findings of spot check visits to 100 hospitals to inspect care of the elderly in October. Half were found to be failing basic standards.