Chapter 10: The local MP
Debate in the House of Commons
Mr Viggers spoke in a debate in the House of Commons, known as a Pre-Recess Adjournment Debate, on 19 December 2002. The motion for the debate was “That this House, at its rising on Thursday 19th December, do adjourn until Tuesday 7th January”. These debates enable MPs to raise issues of concern to them individually and locally, and there is no single or unifying theme (FAM004456).
The debate began at 1.16pm and Ben Bradshaw MP, Parliamentary Secretary in the Privy Council Office, responded for the Government at 6.45pm. Mr Viggers spoke at 2.27pm and concluded his remarks at 2.41pm. The theme of his contribution was the NHS and how it was deteriorating. He identified five local illustrations relevant to his constituents. The first was podiatry, chiropody and general foot care. The second was dentistry. The fourth was Queen Alexandra Hospital, which he said was in crisis. The fifth was the Royal Hospital Haslar (FAM004456).
Mr Viggers’ third illustration concerned Gosport War Memorial Hospital, which he described in the following terms:
“There was a campaign to close it, but I was part of a campaign to keep it open and it became a community hospital. It is very highly regarded, conveniently located in Gosport and has caring staff, and its league of friends — as active as any in the country — is very successful at raising money for what is a much appreciated and loved hospital for which people used to have nothing but praise.
In the long period during which I have represented Gosport, I never received any complaints about Gosport War Memorial hospital until a woman who lives in Eastbourne complained about the death in the hospital of her mother, who was in her 90s. Deeply though one regrets that lady’s death, the complaint was that she had been put on diamorphine. In those days — we are talking about 1998 — prescription practice was rather less specific than it is now. It was not unusual for a doctor to prescribe a range of diamorphine levels and leave decisions about how much a patient needed to the discretion of nurses.
That practice is what I would expect in a hospital where doctors and nurses know and trust each other. However, that did not satisfy the woman, who complained bitterly and demanded a police inquiry into the alleged illegal killing of her mother. The police conducted an inquiry and concluded that there was nothing further to inquire into. The woman made a further complaint, and a second police inquiry reached the same conclusion as the first.
Further agitation, and by that time the keen interest of local newspapers, led the PCT and others to decide that it would be appropriate to hold a further inquiry so as to reassure all the people dealing with the hospital. The Commission for Health Improvement carried out that inquiry and produced an action plan that is now being followed. That brought the total number of inquiries to three.
However, the complainant kept going. By then, other people had begun to wonder whether they might have something to complain about after their 80 and 90-year old relatives had died in the hospital. Eventually, Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer, appointed Professor Baker to carry out a clinical audit of the hospital. That made four inquiries. However, the press was by then building up interest, and 57 people complained that their relatives might have died because of inappropriate treatment. Another police inquiry — the fifth inquiry overall — has been launched, and a firm of solicitors that took part in the Harold Shipman case has also become involved, possibly helpfully, although the name Shipman means that newspaper reporters have become even more excited.
The strategic health authority decided that there should be a further inquiry into the hospital’s management over the past 10 years, and the chairmen of the two PCTs concurred. That makes six inquiries. Meanwhile, the General Medical Council is carrying out a seventh inquiry, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council an eighth.
The House can imagine the cost, and the effect on management, of all those inquiries. I only hope that they all conclude quickly. I have visited the hospital twice recently to meet patients and staff and to say that I know the hospital to be highly regarded. I want to thank again all the staff and everyone involved in the hospital for what they have done to maintain a high standard of care in the Gosport area. I hope that the matter is resolved soon.” (FAM004456, p2)
Mr Viggers concluded his speech by saying:
“These examples show that the Government are wrong. Thinking that they know best and that services can be centralised and controlled leads not to improvements but to deterioration. I hope that the Secretary of State for Health will read the report of this debate and respond to the points that I have raised, because there are serious concerns about the national health service in my area.” (FAM004456, p3)
In winding up the debate, Mr Bradshaw responded to Mr Viggers’ remarks about the Royal Hospital Haslar but not to his reference to Gosport War Memorial Hospital.