NHS ANNOUNCE EXTERNAL INVESTIGATION

Finally some progress...

Today UHMBT confirmed that NHS Improvement/England has agreed to commission an external investigation into the urology department.

It's not quite the public inquiry which MPs, patients and families have been calling for but at the very least it's some progress.

The only concern about NHSI/E commissioning this review is that in 2017 that very same organisation accepted former UHMBT medical director David Walker's insistence that "everything was fine".

But ultimately, the world will be watching, particularly myself, and I don't doubt that the patients who have come forward to date will make sure that they are involved in the whole process.

This investigation must not leave any stone unturned.

This investigation must not be restricted to the concerns raised in Peter Duffy's book.

This investigation must look into the ongoing issues relating to current employees of UHMBT.

This investigation must delve deeper than the surface and it absolutely must not be based upon any naive assumption that 'lessons have been learned' and that the issues are 'historical'.

There are current patients, including tragically one who has died recently, whose care appears - even to those with no medical background, to have fallen far short than they should have expected.

This investigation is clearly turning a corner but scrutiny must be maintained and intensified to ensure that it is as comprehensive and all-encompassing as it needs to be.

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TRUST BACKS CALLS FOR PUBLIC INQUIRY

New statement from UHMBT chief executive Aaron Cummins Aaron Cummins, Chief Executive of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) said: “I’m pleased that John Woodcock, MP, was able to meet with the Trust yesterday to discuss the concerns raised by a former employee, Consultant Urologist, Peter Duffy. “Peter has raised serious safety concerns in his book and, while we believe all the clinical cases we can identify from the book have been investigated, we want to further reassure ourselves and the public that this has taken place and the necessary action has been taken. “John has been very clear how he feels the Trust is viewed on this matter, appearing ‘closed’ and defensive’ with how we’ve responded to some media queries, particularly Freedom of Information Requests (FOI) and we respect that view. “We have attempted to answer all questions in a timely and honest way in accordance with any applicable regulations and we will now be publishing all...

WHISTLE IN THE WIND: 5,000 SALES

Peter Duffy's book sells 5,000 copies to date Considering its niche topic and market, and despite my fairly limited understanding of self-publishing, it seems fairly impressive even to me that Whistle in the Wind has now racked up 5,000 sales since it was released in July. You can buy a copy of it here on Amazon: Whistle in the Wind on Amazon

FAMILIES: LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD

Grieving families, harmed patients and politicians call for public inquiry THE four MPs who represent the area covered by the Morecambe Bay hospital trust have joined forces to call for a public inquiry into its urology department. Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock, Copeland’s Trudy Harrison, Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron and Barrow-born Lancaster MP Cat Smith have jointly penned a letter to health secretary Matt Hancock. The move follows a 12-month investigation by The Mail in conjunction with former FGH consultant urologist Peter Duffy who last month published his whistle-blowing book detailing some of the errors made by his colleagues over a 19-year period. The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, which runs FGH, the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Westmorland General Hospital, ‘welcomed independent scrutiny’ but insists the service is safe. In their letter the MPs call for an inquiry to follow the model of the 2015 Kirkup Report int...

Investigation into UHMBT urology

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