Express & Star

Mid Staffs scandal focus of new television drama

The story of the Mid-Staffordshire hospital scandal is to be turned into a television drama.

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Julie Bailey

Channel 4 has commissioned the film, with a working title of The Cure, which will be told through the eyes of Julie Bailey, the woman who blew the whistle on it.

The factual drama charts the poor care and conditions at Stafford Hospital which came to national attention in 2008. Subsequent reports estimated that between 400 and 1,200 patients died between January 2005 and March 2009 as a result of neglect which saw some patients left for hours in soiled sheets, with no pain relief, dehydrated and routinely ignored by staff.

The Cure is told from the perspective of Julie Bailey, who witnessed the appalling conditions first hand when her elderly mother was admitted for a routine hernia procedure.

The cafe owner, who went on to be awarded a CBE, formed a campaign group, called Cure the NHS, with other locals who had also lost loved ones which exposed the dangers at the hospital in order to hold those responsible to account and ultimately force a public inquiry.

The drama follows her story, the unforeseen divisions in the local community that resulted from her campaign and the official investigation into the hospital.

Ms Bailey said: “What my family went through at Mid Staffs and our subsequent struggle to be heard must never be forgotten. This docu-drama will help to ensure the mistakes contributing to the death of my mother, and hundreds more, are never repeated.”

The film was commissioned by Alisa Pomeroy and will be made by Story Films, the producers of Channel 4’s verbatim drama The Interrogation of Tony Martin, about the Norfolk farmer who shot a fleeing burglar dead in 1999.

She said: “This is a story of huge personal sacrifice with a profound national impact. The Mid Staffs scandal shook the country and raised urgent questions about the state of the NHS. These questions still resonate today, making this a timely and important story to tell.”

Amanda Duke, writer of The Cure, said: "I’m always interested in projects featuring extraordinary, inspiring real-life women so it’s been a real privilege to research and write this challenging and timely film for Channel 4.

"Julie’s story is incredibly moving, and whatever I thought I knew about Mid Staffs paled into insignificance the minute I met her and she started talking about what she and her family endured on Ward 11."

The Francis Inquiry report published in 2013 made 290 recommendations, including improved support for compassionate caring and stronger health care leadership.

A broadcast date for The Cure is yet to be fixed.

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