LEEDS NHS CONTRACT WITH ECCLESHILL MUST BE SUSPENDED AFTER INQUEST - MULHOLLAND

1.37.00pm GMT Fri 5th Dec 2008

Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, has written to the Chief Executive of the Leeds Primary Care Trust to call for all referrals of NHS patients to the Eccleshill Independent Treatment Centre to be suspended, following the tragic death of Dr John Hubley.

An inquest into Dr Hubley's death, who was referred to the Eccleshill centre for routine gall bladder surgery last year, recorded a verdict misadventure aggravated by neglect, and gross failings at Eccleshill, including an absence of proper equipment, access to blood, and proper emergency procedures.

Greg has also written to the Secretary of State for Health to call for a public enquiry into the Eccleshill centre, and a review of all similar independent treatment centres used for NHS patients.

Commenting Greg said:

"The verdict of the inquest into John Hubley's tragic death was a list of fundamental and wide-scale failures which beggared belief, and it must completely shatter public confidence in Eccleshill.

"In the wake of this verdict the PCT must show that it is responding to these findings and immediately suspend any referral of NHS patients to Eccleshill. No further referrals should be made until cast iron guarantees exist that adequate safety procedures have been put in place.

"Yet this verdict, and the scale of the negligence and lack of adequate procedure involved, must also mean that the contract that Leeds PCT has with Eccleshill is immediately reviewed, and there must be an incredibly strong case for canceling it completely. We cannot allow this appalling situation to happen again.."

ENDS