Report: British hospital gave poor care

LONDON, March 22 (UPI) -- Hundreds of patients have died at Stafford Hospital in England because of inadequate treatment, an agency report maintains.

The regulatory body that oversees the National Health Service said in a report that hospital officials ignored repeated warnings that the quality of care at the hospital was substandard, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

The report issued by the Health Commission last week said many patients died at Stafford Hospital because of the "appalling" treatment they received.

The newspaper reported that Stafford executives were warned as early as 2002 by government officials about the quality of its emergency care services and that it was not adequately staffed.

Following the report's release Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust's chief executive, Martin Yeates, was suspended with pay and its chairman, Toni Brisby, resigned.

The Patients Association and the Cure the NHS campaign group say they want an investigation into the hospital.

"The most important thing is that patients are happy and safe. I've signed the petition because I think patients need to have confidence that they will be, said Patients Association Vice President Richard Branson. "Inquiries are not about laying blame, they are about finding answers to important questions."