Polly has written to the Chief Executive of the East Kent NHS Trust after an ITV investigation exposed serious vetting failures at East Kent hospitals that impacted safe patient care. In her letter she said:
Dear Dr Holden
Re: ITV staff vetting and patient safety investigation at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKHUFT)
I am writing to demand urgent answers following yesterday’s (10 November) ITV Meridian investigation into serious failures in staff vetting at EKHUFT, which appear to have placed patient safety at significant risk.
The allegations exposed by this investigation are deeply shocking. ITV’s film suggests doctors were allowed to treat and operate on patients without adequate checks having been carried out on their fitness to practice, which in some cases has left people suffering painful and lasting medical complications as a result of apparently negligent care. The painful experiences shared by patients and their families in ITV’s documentary are deeply distressing and my thoughts are with them.
It is hugely concerning that doctors were apparently able to secure jobs and operate on patients at EKHUFT by making false or misleading statements in job applications. These false or misleading claims could easily have been identified by EKHUFT if basic checks had been carried out. This failure represents a fundamental breakdown in the trust’s responsibility to protect patients and make sure those entrusted with their care are appropriately vetted.
Patients attending EKHUFT hospitals have every right to expect safe, competent and properly scrutinised medical care. Patients and their families deserve a full and transparent explanation into this serious lapse in standards.
I am therefore writing to demand an explanation into how these failures were allowed to happen, and what action is being taken to make sure lessons are learned and nothing like this can ever happen again.
I look forward to your response.
Kind regards,
Polly Billington MP